scholarly journals The ethical dangers and merits of predictive policing

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moish Kutnowski
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Safety ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Predictive Policing ◽  
Traditional Sense ◽  
Potential Opportunity

Predictive policing is an emerging law enforcement technique that uses data and statistical analysis to aid in the identification of criminal activity. Its intention is to proactively reduce crime by providing police forces with likely areas of high risk variables. While this is a noble pursuit, every new tool must be accompanied by the ethical considerations of its potential consequences. Predictive policing is still in its infancy, borne from crime analysis and big data; however, the Western criminal justice system in the traditional sense is a reactive institution with a diverse history. The use of predictive policing presents a new challenge for law enforcement in that it allows for a divergence from the distinct reality of modern policing. Using the United States as an example of the dangers and flaws of predictive policing as a discretionary tool used to justify questionable processes and biases, this paper will analyze the potential opportunity that predictive policing and new holistic forms of law enforcement and community safety initiatives can use in partnerships with communities and policy makers.

Classifying Far-Right Groups as Gangs

Contexts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 74-75
Author(s):  
Matthew Valasik ◽  
Shannon E. Reid
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Street Gangs ◽  
Foreseeable Future ◽  
Far Right ◽  
Policy Makers

The uneven response by law enforcement has resulted in the overall under-policing of far-right groups. Policy makers and the broader criminal justice system need consider proactive approaches if the goal is to prevent violence from far-right groups. A straightforward and appropriate approach is to treat far-right groups as street gangs. Existing gang statutes are a proven tool is aggressively used on BIPOC gangs and should be equally applied to far-right groups. Law enforcement’s continued dismissiveness of far-right groups only increases them as being the most "persistent and lethal threat" in the United States for the foreseeable future.

scholarly journals Criminalizing Migration

Daedalus ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 150 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-119
Author(s):  
César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Outer Edge ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Federal Laws ◽  
Laws And Policies

Abstract Beginning in the 1980s, the United States embarked on a decades-long restructuring of federal laws criminalizing migration and increasing the consequences for migrants engaging in criminal activity. Today, the results are clear: a law enforcement apparatus and immigration prison system propelled by a vast infrastructure of laws and policies. The presidency of Donald Trump augmented this trend and brought it to public attention. But lost in President Trump's unique flair is an ideological commitment shared by multiple presidential administrations and legislators from both major political parties to use the criminal justice system and imprisonment to sift migrants. Examining these ideological attachments reveals Trump-era policies to be the outer edge of decades-long trends rather than extreme and momentary deviations from the norm.

scholarly journals Predictive Policing and Crime Control in The United States of America and Europe: Trends in a Decade of Research and the Future of Predictive Policing

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 234
Author(s):  
Ishmael Mugari ◽  
Emeka E. Obioha
Keyword(s):  
Crime Control ◽  
Predictive Accuracy ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Predictive Policing ◽  
Software Applications ◽  
Predictive Algorithms ◽  
Developed Nations ◽  
Predictive Software

There has been a significant focus on predictive policing systems, as law enforcement agents embrace modern technology to forecast criminal activity. Most developed nations have implemented predictive policing, albeit with mixed reactions over its effectiveness. Whilst at its inception, predictive policing involved simple heuristics and algorithms, it has increased in sophistication in the ever-changing technological environment. This paper, which is based on a literature survey, examines predictive policing over the last decade (2010 to 2020). The paper examines how various nations have implemented predictive policing and also documents the impediments to predictive policing. The paper reveals that despite the adoption of predictive software applications such as PredPol, Risk Terrain Modelling, HunchLab, PreMap, PRECOBS, Crime Anticipation System, and Azevea, there are several impediments that have militated against the effectiveness of predictive policing, and these include low predictive accuracy, limited scope of crimes that can be predicted, high cost of predictive policing software, flawed data input, and the biased nature of some predictive software applications. Despite these challenges, the paper reveals that there is consensus by the majority of the researchers on the importance of predictive algorithms on the policing landscape.

Why and How We Need to Fill Criminal Justice Data Gaps

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-261
Author(s):  
Arthur Rizer ◽  
Dan King
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Data Storage ◽  
Justice System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Crime And Punishment ◽  
Data Gaps ◽  
Key Terms ◽  
Silver Bullet

For the past 50 plus years the United States has been debating the very nature of our criminal justice system. Are we too lenient? Are we too vindictive? Do we give too much power to our cops and prosecutors or too many protections to defendants? But maybe most important, is there a better way? Can we ensure we have both safety and dignity built into our system? These questions are extremely difficult for law makers to answer because of the moral implications involved with crime and punishment, but also because of one glaring weakness: data sharing and reporting. We simply do not have comprehensive data collection systems for policy makers to draw on to design interventions that can protect public safety and help heal community wounds. While there is no silver bullet that will fix these problems, we believe attention should be paid to: 1) fixing inconsistencies in key terms so data collection can be universal, 2) fixing the issues with delayed reporting so the data we have is up to date for researchers and policy makers, and 3) addressing issues with inadequate and inconsistent data storage so not only will the data be available but assessable to those who can use it to improve the system.

scholarly journals Helpful tools for criminal prosecution in domestic violence cases: Some ideas from the United States of America

Temida ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-71
Author(s):  
Katie Zoglin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Justice System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Criminal Prosecution ◽  
Restraining Orders ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Victim Support

In this paper author presents three instruments that have been proven helpful in domestic violence prosecutions in the United States, particularly in California: (1) laws, (2) inter-agency protocols, and (3) victim support services. Prosecutors have found that certain laws have been helpful in domestic violence prosecutions. These include restraining orders, criminal penalties for violations of restraining orders, and evidence code provisions permitting certain kinds of testimony. Second, many jurisdictions in California have drafted inter-agency protocols. The purpose of these protocols is to help law enforcement, health care workers, and social workers in gathering evidence relating to domestic violence cases. Finally, most victims are not familiar with the criminal justice system many are nervous about going to court for domestic violence cases, for a variety of reasons. As a result, many jurisdictions have established victim support services.

Insurgent safety: Theorizing alternatives to state protection

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan G McDowell
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Alternative Model ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dominant Model ◽  
Police Violence ◽  
Social Good ◽  
State Protection

In the United States, public safety is embraced as an unquestioned social good. Broadly speaking, the criminal justice system is tasked with administering and maintaining public safety through the use of law enforcement, the courts, and prisons. First, through a focus on racialized police violence, this article develops a critique of the dominant model of public safety practiced in the United States—identified herein as ‘carceral safety’. Second, through an analysis of findings from the (Re)imagining Public Safety Project (RPSP), this article seeks to sketch out an alternative model and practice of safety that does not rely on banishment, policing, or mass criminalization. In contradistinction to the forms of state protection exercised under the seemingly innocuous rhetoric of ‘public safety’, RPSP participants conceptualized what I am calling ‘insurgent safety’: locally determined, anti-capitalist practices and ethics for reducing, and responding to harm.

Social Media Representations of Law Enforcement within Four Diverse Chicago Neighborhoods

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 832-852
Author(s):  
Aparna Sodhi ◽  
Nathan Aguilar ◽  
Deanna E Choma ◽  
Jackie Marie Steve ◽  
Desmond Patton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Communities Of Color ◽  
Public Consciousness ◽  
Excessive Use Of Force

The perception of excessive use of force by law enforcement towards minorities has become an increasing focus of attention in the national media and public consciousness. With greater ability to record conflicts using smartphones and dissemination of videos via social media, the public may more readily judge the circumstances of law enforcement interactions. The purpose of this study was (a) to understand the general sentiment about law enforcement on social media among communities of color in Chicago, (b) to see if local or national incidents of police conflicts with people of color were mentioned, and (c) identify key themes within these social media posts. Publicly available social media posts were collected from four ethnically and socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods in Chicago. Using a five-person team and keyword searches, the posts were reviewed for content and abstracted if they pertained to law enforcement. They were then analyzed in stages of open, axial, and selective coding methods. Eight main themes were identified. These included the following: (a) law enforcement participation in the community, (b) law enforcement activity in the neighborhood, (c) posts regarding criminal activity, (d) immigration, (e) political protests against police, (f) African American men and law enforcement, (g) sympathy with Sandra Bland case, and (h) #Blacklivesmatter. There appears to be chasm of trust between law enforcement and communities of color. Our findings may help inform law enforcement, public policy-makers, and social workers in their efforts to better address these issues and to institute policies and interventions that not only bridge this gap but also strengthen and empower these communities.

Directed Surveillance

2020 ◽  
pp. 56-73
Author(s):  
Sarah Brayne
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Intelligence Gathering ◽  
Predictive Policing ◽  
Crime Patterns ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Using Data

This chapter focuses on directed surveillance, or the surveillance of people and places deemed suspicious. Big data is associated with a shift from reactive to predictive policing. Predictive policing refers to analytic techniques used by law enforcement to forecast potential criminal activity. It involves using data to determine current crime patterns and direct patrol resources, such as where officers should go and who they should stop. In general terms, the stages of predictive policing are collection, analysis, intervention, and response. The chapter analyzes how the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) conducts person- and place-based predictive policing; why it adopted different forms of predictive policing; how it uses algorithms to quantify criminal risk; how the police do—and do not—incorporate insights from the algorithms into their work in the field; and how predictive policing serves as a foundation for ongoing intelligence gathering.

Practical Pathology of Gunshot Wounds

2006 ◽  
Vol 130 (9) ◽  
pp. 1283-1289 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Scott Denton ◽  
Adrienne Segovia ◽  
James A. Filkins
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Gunshot Wound ◽  
Gunshot Wounds ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Examiner ◽  
Manner Of Death ◽  
Entrance Wound ◽  
Practical Guidelines

Abstract Context.—Gunshot wounds are the most common cause of homicidal death in the United States. Analysis and interpretation of fatal gunshot wounds is an important and common practice among forensic pathologists. Additionally, for pathology residents, it is an integral aspect of their training during their rotations at medical examiner or coroner offices. Objective.—The correct interpretation of gunshot wounds by forensic pathologists not only provides valuable information that can assist law enforcement in their investigation but also is essential for the final determination of manner of death. Discussion of the practical, basic, and essential skills required to interpret gunshot wounds include distinguishing a classic entrance wound from an exit wound; recognizing atypical entrance and exit wounds; utilizing the features of soot and stippling patterns to differentiate among contact, close, and distant range gunshot wounds; understanding of the trauma produced by gunshot wounds; and understanding the importance of recovering and documenting/handling any projectiles recovered at autopsy. Data Sources.—This article reviews numerous standard forensic pathology textbooks and the pertinent literature to formulate practical guidelines to assist the pathologist in the performance of forensic autopsies and the investigation of gunshot wound fatalities. Conclusions.—Pathologists who perform investigations and autopsies to determine the cause and manner of death in gunshot wound cases must be aware of the implications, requirements, and pitfalls in interpretation of the injuries so that the examination fulfills its expectations to the community and the justice system.

Stop-and-Frisk Policing

Criminology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Law Enforcement Officers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Class Action ◽  
Deterrent Effect ◽  
Stop And Frisk ◽  
Reasonable Suspicion

Stop and frisk is a proactive policing strategy that is widely used by police departments across the globe. In the United States, the origins of stop and frisk are rooted in the English practice of allowing night watchmen to stop and question individuals who were deemed suspicious. This ability to stop and question suspicious individuals serves two primary purposes. First, it gives law enforcement officers the ability to identify individuals who are looking to engage in criminal activity, stop those individuals, and prevent them from committing a criminal offense. Second, it may have a deterrent effect if potential offenders refrain from criminal offending because they do not want to risk being stopped. By the early 20th century, the implementation of stop and frisk in the United States varied by state. The Uniform Arrest Act, proposed in 1942, sought to standardize the practice. While several states adopted the Uniform Crime Act, which stipulated the circumstances under which a stop and frisk could occur, most states failed to do so. The practice of stop and frisk also faced constitutional challenges, with plaintiffs alleging violations of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures. In 1968, the US Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of stop and frisk. When law enforcement officers can establish reasonable suspicion, they can stop and question an individual. If there is reasonable suspicion to believe that a stopped individual possesses a weapon or poses a threat, law enforcement officers can also conduct a frisk. Stop and frisk has faced significant criticism and has been the subject of several class-action lawsuits, particularly in New York City. First, there is significant concern that nonwhite pedestrians are more likely than white pedestrians to be stopped, frisked, and subjected to the use of force. Next, stop and frisk may reduce perceptions of legitimacy and trust in law enforcement. The practice may also have adverse health consequences for those who are subjected to it or are in fear of being subjected to it. Finally, it is unclear whether stop and frisk prevents crime. It is also important to note that stop and frisk faces these same criticisms in other nations. The literature cited in this article summarizes key pieces on stop and frisk.

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