Helping police make custody decisions using artificial intelligence

Police at the "front line" of difficult risk-based judgements are trialling an AI system trained by University of Cambridge criminologists to give guidance using the outcomes of five years of criminal histories. The man in front of you has been caught in possession of drugs. He has no weapons, and no record of any violent or serious crimes. Do you let the man out on police bail the next morning, or keep him locked up for two days to ensure he comes to court on Monday?" The kind of scenario Dr. Geoffrey Barnes is describing – whether to detain a suspect in police custody or release them on bail – occurs hundreds of thousands of times a year across the UK. The outcome of this decision could be major for the suspect, for public safety and for the police. "The police officers who make these custody decisions are highly experienced," explains Barnes. "But all their knowledge and policing skills can't tell them the one thing they need to now most about the suspect – how likely is it that he or she is going to cause major harm if they are released?