Introduction to Management Information Systems
Q1. Advantages of Predictive Policing
Predictive policing enables the policing agencies to focus much of their efforts on reduced areas, specifically, 500-by-500 foot areas which the analytical system identifies as crime hot spots. By creating a reduced patrol zone, it enables police officers to avoid spending time in areas that do not require patrols. Again, from the intelligence that the system provides, police agencies are able to deploy their officers to combat imminent crimes.
The results of predictive policing in Santa Cruz enabled a 27% drop in property crime, 19% reduction in cases of burglaries and a discovery of seven criminals inside the established hot spots. Interestingly, the system also saves Santa Cruz city money by eliminating costs incurred every time police officers prevent crimes like during processing and booking of the criminals and the subsequent procedures such as detention prior to trial, court trials and housing those criminals in correctional institutions after their conviction.
In the case of Los Angeles for instance, LAPD found predictive policing to be double the proficiency of human analysis when it comes to predicting crime locations. This improvement led to the city of Los Angeles to experience a 25% reduction in reported cases of burglaries especially in areas where the systems advice was followed.
Q2. Potential Disadvantages of Predictive Policing
The problem with predictive policing is that areas get checked randomly and this may encourage profiling for the individual cities of Santa Cruz and Los Angeles, especially in targeted areas. For instance, innocent individuals may become prime targets due to their residence. This aspect may cause the community to be dissatisfied as residents may feel profiled and targeted by police officers.
As far as the system disadvantage relates to each of SCPD and LAPD, both police agencies experience similar concerns. Police officers from both agencies can feel little choice in their patrol to the assigned areas. The system doesn’t give recognition to human intuition as it is purely based on figures and numbers. In other cases, some members from both SCPD and LAPD agencies might feel frustrated and see their patrols in the areas that they’ve been assigned by PredPol. Again, the system denies the police officers to exercise their duties in relation to both their instincts and knowledge of their entire patrol base.
Both of these options best describe predictive policing; a way of catching criminals as well as a way of preventing crimes from taking place. PredPol assists in having police officers in the areas with the highest probability of the offence occurring, at the most critical times. This preventive response enables the prevention of crimes and gives an indication that police agencies are committed to protecting their communities especially when criminal activities are most likely to occur. The system also assists these agencies in apprehending perpetrators at the centre of committing activities which are criminal in nature. In either case, the system offers logical insight that needs to be regarded as vital for community policing. For instances, the case of two women who were caught looking into cars at the parking garage by Santa Cruz patrol team presents the system as a way of catching criminals. However, the same system has reduced reported cases of crime by 25% in the same city. The later revelation shows the system as a way of preventing crimes from happening.
