Law Weblog
Computer software predicts offences
Sunday 25 July 2010 at 8:08 am | In News | 2 Comments
The Guardian reports that two British police forces have begun trials of computer software which predicts where and when crimes will be committed.
The system, known as Blue CRUSH (Criminal Reduction Utilising Statistical History) evaluates patterns of past and present incidents, then combines the information with a range of data including crime reports, intelligence briefings, offender behaviour profiles and even weather forecasts. This is used to identify potential hot spots and flashpoints, so police forces can allocate resources to areas where particular crimes are most likely to occur.
Successful long-term trials in Memphis, Tennessee, where the police department credits Blue CRUSH as the key factor behind a 31% reduction in overall crime and a 15% fall in violent crime. The system has also been credited with improving morale among officers of the Memphis police by boosting arrest rates and helping them to feel as if they are “making a difference”.
Guardian report, here
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As a long time reader of your blog, Thanks for many years of enlightening posts.
Comment by cramer pelmont — Tuesday 27 July 2010 1:10 pm #
It will be very interesting to see the results of this system in Britain. If Blue Crush can reduce crime in London by 31% it would be amazing new software and would mean less work for london solicitors.
Comment by Eddie — Tuesday 21 June 2011 4:03 pm #