It’s Not Quite the Future Crimes Unit . . . Yet: Using Big Data to Solve Crimes

Memphis criminals are in big trouble. The city’s police department is using technology in new ways to fight crime and as a result they’ve managed to reduce crime 28 percent over the last five years. 

They are doing this in part by using data about where crimes have occurred in the past and analyzing it with some pretty serious technology from IBM to predict where crime will occur in the future. They are also using personal data devices and smartphones to get real-time information to officers on the ground.

Maybe I’m a geek, but I think this is super cool and as Larry Godwin, Director of the Memphis Police Department, says in the short video above:

“Tell me an officer that doesn’t like to lock up a bad guy.”

We’re with you Larry. We like to see them locked up, too. Well done and keep up the good work.

Comments

  1. Dorothy Hayes

    Wow, I’m impressed by the video and the new technology, that’s not new but new to the Memphis Police Department. I like Larry Godwin’s passion, but can he not say, “At the end of the day,” and “gosh dang.” Actually, gosh dang was pretty good. The end of the day thing, I’m thinking of starting a change.org petition to finally end it.

    Thank you for the information regarding the CRUSH program, in writing a future mystery, I will use it. Great for the Memphis police for reducing the crime rate in incredible leaps.

    I do, however, know police officers who are in it to help people, instead of liking “locking up bad guys,” knowing that “bad guys” are often people who had bad breaks.

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