Comment by Madison Cutler

Predictive policing programs utilize algorithms to allocate law enforcement resources to areas and persons identified as having a higher risk for crime, despite a lack of evidence showing the efficacy of these determinations. Commercially-produced and in-house predictive policing software varies greatly in design and is not subject to standardization or government accountability. Predictive policing programs rely on biased historical data, threaten the civil rights of community members, and do not provide for transparency or accountability regarding their practices. For these reasons, predictive policing tools should not be used in any law enforcement agency. If agencies are using these tools, they must be subject to frequent evaluation and practice transparency regarding data.