It Turns Out That Predictive Policing Software Is Pretty Terrible At Predicting Crimes

An analysis of crime prediction software used by Plainfield, New Jersey police found it highly inaccurate. Of over 23,000 predictions by Geolitica in 2018, fewer than 100 matched actual crimes - a success rate below 0.5%. The $20,500 system was rarely used. Geolitica is now shutting down, with some assets acquired by SoundThinking. Critics argue such inaccurate predictions can lead to over-policing and wasted resources, emphasizing the need for more effective, community-oriented crime prevention approaches.