International Journal on Criminology Volume 4, Number 2, Winter 2016 | Page 82

Telling Tales with Inspector PredPol
The Usefulness of Big Data and its Prediction Capabilities
Predictive policing is clearly unrealistic in its current form, being neither more
nor less effective than on-line dating (and they both make use of similar algorithms).
Nevertheless, there is a way forward for predictive technology:
- Data mining tools can be useful in the vast field of known knowns: nothing
is better equipped to sort, classify and order information than a computer—in
other words, computers excel at high-speed optimizing.
- Specialized software can improve medical diagnoses and therapeutic
effectiveness; ditto for targeted advertising and estimating insurance premiums.
And, if computer scientists and criminologists could work together, there is
no doubt they could generate some extremely valuable preventive tools for
the police.
- Exploring big data would also make it possible to foresee new trends,
uncover emerging tendencies and glimpse hidden dynamics, all of which
would obviously be very useful when it comes to security.
But, while waiting for these untold technological breakthroughs, it would be
risky to take things any further.
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