Vancouver Police Drive Down Crime with Machine Learning and Spatial Analytics

Police in Vancouver, British Columbia are cracking down on burglary with a machine learning solution that uses an algorithm to deconstruct crime patterns. Through spatial analytics, police are able to predict where residential break-and-enters will occur and place police patrols accordingly. The department first tried this technology with a pilot test that reduced burglary by more than 20% month over month. Now they are making the approach common practice. "Every 28 days, our management reviews crime trends, crime clustering, and crime issues across the city," said Ryan Prox, Special Constable in Charge of Crime Analytics Advisory and Development Unit, Vancouver Police.