Police Uses Algorithm To Predict Who Might Commit a Crime

Police Uses Algorithm To Predict Who Might Commit a Crime
Short Title	Florida Sheriff Launched an Algorithm To Predict Who Might Commit a Crime
Location	Florida
Date	September 2020
Solove Harm	Exclusion, Intrusion
Information	Behavioral, Contact, Identifying, Criminal, Public Life, Location
Threat Actors	Law Enforcement
Individuals
Affected	People in Pasco
High Risk Groups	Criminal, Suspect
Tangible Harms	Anxiety, Embarrassment

A sheriff in Florida launched an algorithm to predict who might commit a crime. Dozens of people said they were harassed by deputies for no reason.

Description

A central Florida sheriff built an algorithm meant to predict which people in his jurisdiction were likely to commit a crime in the future. But according to a six-month investigation, the high-tech tool deployed by the Pasco Sheriff's Office didn't lead to a reduction in violent crime — instead, 21 families singled out by the algorithm said they were routinely harassed by deputies, even when there was no evidence of a specific crime.

First the Sheriff’s Office generated lists of people it considers likely to break the law, based on arrest histories, unspecified intelligence and arbitrary decisions by police analysts.

Then it sent deputies to find and interrogate anyone whose name appears, often without probable cause, a search warrant or evidence of a specific crime. That can be interpreted as Intrusion. They would swarm homes in the middle of the night, waking families and embarrassing people in front of their neighbors.

In September 2019 one 15 year old was determined by the algorithm as one of the county’s "Top 5" at risk of committing more crimes. His personal information being processed by the algorithm he isn't aware of and doesn’t have any access to can be interpreted as Exclusion.

Shortly after one visit from deputies in January, that person began experiencing difficulty breathing and collapsed in their home. Their mother called an ambulance and an emergency-room doctor later found that they were experiencing the effects of extreme anxiety.

Breakdown

Threat: Police algorithm analyses people’s information without them knowing
At-Risk group: People in Pasco
Harm: Exclusion
Secondary Consequences:

Threat: Law enforcement coming to people’s houses without probable cause, warrant or evidence
At-Risk group: People in Pasco
Harm: Intrusion
Secondary Consequences: Anxiety, Embarrassment

Sources

https://www.businessinsider.com/predictive-policing-algorithm-monitors-harasses-families-report-2020-9?r=DE&IR=T
https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2020/investigations/police-pasco-sheriff-targeted/intelligence-led-policing/