Bay Area police try out controversial AI software that tells them where to patrol

Even the head of a Santa Cruz tech company that sells software to Bay Area police departments admits that using an algorithm to tell cops where and when to patrol raises a host of complicated issues. With the promise of trying to predict crime before it happens, police departments across the United States are experimenting with artificial intelligence programs like the one from PredPol in Santa Cruz. It's an evolution of the "hot-spot" crime maps police have been using for decades to guide their patrolling -- with 21st century twists that opponents say can reinforce bias and make people less safe. At a time when tension is high over police misconduct and shootings of unarmed suspects, predictive policing is under increasing scrutiny from privacy advocates, watchdogs and even law enforcement itself. The software for predictive policing relies on data, ranging from crime-victim reports to arrests to individuals' histories of police interaction.