Predictive policing

Predictive policing is the usage of mathematics, predictive analytics, and other analytical techniques in law enforcement to identify potential criminal activity.

A report published by the RAND Corporation identified four general categories predictive policing methods fall into: methods for predicting crimes, methods for predicting offenders, methods for predicting perpetrators' identities, and methods for predicting victims of crime. Predictive policing has received significant scrutiny throughout the 2010s and 2020s, especially relating to concerns of the practice disproportionately affecting communities of color due to selection bias.