Law and Quantification

Law and Quantification

Big Data Policing in the Big Apple. By Ferguson A.G.

The article highlights the concept of predictive policing using data collected and technology in order to deploy crime preventive measures rather than reactive measures to given mapped crime hot spots. The coverage by the author of this topic is well balanced since he looks at both extremes; the ideal situation and the shortcomings that maybe experienced with the technology. The discussion questions that arise from this topic are; 1. Are there future possibilities of this kind of technology to be applied to other remote areas away from the city with the same effectiveness and accuracy as it is in the New York City and other cities that it has been applied. 2. In the event that the hackers get access to this kind of database, what are the stop gap measures that have been put in place to ensure the police are not misguided and the errors are picked out in good time?

Predicting Crime, LAPD Style. By Nate Berg

The writer highlights several instances where technology has been used in crime prevention and crime detection. He highlights the use of predictive policing through use of data bases, the face detection technology and the use of vehicle number plate reader and street surveillance through various central rooms dedicated to this use. The writer expresses objectivity in the article since he gives the achievements as well as the shortcomings of each of these technologies with costly results like money lost in lawsuits. The article is an indicator of a well researched piece since it gives data on various cities and a wide range of crime prevention measures with authority figures quoted in the report. Two discussion questions that arise here are; 1. Is the cost of the technology behind the predictive policing that is not highly accurate justifiable? 2. Since crime is a very dynamic and versatile human behavior, what become of the technology when crime moves from the range of the detection capability of these systems and mutates into another form over the next one or two decades?

Law and the Crystal Ball: Predicting Behavior with Statistical Inference and Individualized Judgment. By Barbara D. Underwood

The long paper extensively looks at the concept of predicting human behavior using statistics. The statistics are used to predict the behavior of people not based on their past crimes but on the future possibility having been a subject of crime. It also highlights the need to objectively use statistics and individualized judgment to predict behavior and also critically looks at the various questions that arise from the use of the personal judgment and statistics in predicting behavior. The two questions that arise are; 1. Whether past statistics accurately reflect the human behavior in the future bearing in mind that people go to correction facilities to change and also inspire others to change. 2. Is it possible to predict the biases that may be in the personal judgments since this is yet another part of human behavior that may compromise the accuracy of the crime trend prediction.

Trial by Mathematics: Precision and Ritual in the Legal Process. By Laurence H. Tribe.