Predictive policing software, which uses algorithms to predict where crimes will occur and direct officers to those areas, is used by dozens of police departments across the United States, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. Skeptics doubt whether the technology works as advertised, arguing that low-frequency events like terrorist attacks lack regular patterns and are difficult for algorithms to predict. Concerns have also been raised that the software could increase police focus on minority neighbourhoods, where black and brown people are already disproportionately targeted. One widely deployed tool, created by California firm PredPol, analyses past crime dates, times, and types to generate 500-foot by 500-foot red boxes on a Google map. Officers are instructed to patrol these designated areas when not actively responding to calls to help reduce crime.

Background: Predictive Policing and Risk Scoring

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