Police Legitimacy and Predictive Policing

• NCJ Number: 233966
• Author(s): Tom Casady
• Date Published: March 2011
• Length: 2 pages
• Agencies: NIJ

Annotation

This article examines the validity behind predictive policing policies.

Abstract

This article examines the ethical issues that arise from the use of predictive policing. Predictive policing includes the use of place-based policing, hot spot policing, intelligence-led policing, and information-based policing. Income, housing, and crime data are contained in large databases that are used by the police to predict areas where crime and disorder are likely to occur. Using this data to allocate law enforcement resources can create ethical problems for police, especially regarding the perception of racial profiling and a perceived lack of procedural justice. To avoid these problems, law enforcement officials need to broaden their choice of police strategies when dealing with places that are predicted to have increased levels of crime and disorder. Police strategies that should be considered include crime prevention strategies such as mentoring programs and community youth programs, as well as building successful relationships with community stakeholders. 2 notes