Dec 29, 2014

Authorities are always looking for ways to remain one step ahead of criminals, but unfortunately they’re not able to consistently be ahead. Many areas in the world are overrun with crime despite the presence of proactive policing and the deployment of monetary resources aimed at curbing crime. But what if the technology existed to stop a crime before it even happened? Thanks to major leaps in policing technology, this kind of solution may not be a far-off prospect after all.

Policing is changing with the times
In a piece for The Atlantic called “The Future of Getting Arrested,” Leon Neyfakh pointed out that there are several tech-centered efforts currently underway that have the potential to literally stop crime in its tracks. It’s a movement known as predictive policing, and it centers around the idea that we can harness the proliferation of data and multimedia sources that exist in the world to dramatically drive down criminal infractions and create safer streets. One example of this lies in sensor-based microphone technology. For instance, there are sensors that exist that can be specifically designed to detect gunfire and send an alert to the nearest police officer. With this kind of technology in place, an officer could be dispatched to the scene of a possible crime in a matter of seconds instead of minutes.

Another key development in the world of predictive policing revolves around wireless surveillance. As surveillance technology grows, so does the potential to harness it in order to drive down crime. As the Center for Investigative Reporting pointed out, steps forward in wireless technology will allow for broader geographical areas to be monitored with a greater degree of specificity.

By allowing for both breadth and depth, this kind of wide area surveillance has the potential to bring criminals to justice more quickly and even stop crime before it happens. Consider, for example, a high-crime neighborhood in an urban center. Historically, these kinds of neighborhoods are difficult to police, since crimes happen with such frequency and amid such activity that they’re often hard to pin down. But imagine if a surveillance system existed that worked in real time to take stock of virtually the entire neighborhood – every main street, every area identified as a spot where lots of crimes happen. Thanks to major leaps forward in real-time monitoring, this kind of solution could exist in the near future.

Monitoring may change the nature of arrests, too
But monitoring advances don’t only offer the possibility of tracking crime on a large scale. They also have the potential to come into play when an arrest is being made. With the growth of facial recognition software, for instance, there could soon come a time when police officers can approach suspects with tablets equipped with analytic technology that can help make a determination as to whether the potential arrestee poses a greater threat. As a post on the National Institute of Justice pointed out, predictive policing methods like these aren’t meant to usurp traditional police work, but augment it.

“The predictive policing approach does not replace traditional policing,” the NIJ stated. “Instead, it enhances existing approaches such as problem-oriented policing, community policing, intelligence-led policing and hot spot policing.”

When it comes to driving down crime, it’s important to keep both the safety of officers and citizens on the streets in mind. By leveraging data and technological advancements, predictive policing has the potential to make police work safer and more efficient for everyone involved.

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