LAPD Pacific Division Uses Experimental Method To Deter Crime
DEL REY (CBSLA.com) — The LAPD Pacific Division is using an experimental method to deter crime called "Predictive Policing."
KCAL9's Andrea Fujii reported that police teamed up with UCLA in using past crime reports to determine a mathematical logarithm that tells authorities where crime is more likely to happen.
Officers then get new maps every day to know where they should deploy to best stop criminals.
"Give us what we call our crime missions on a daily basis where the biggest probability where crimes may occur," Capt. Brian Johnson, who helped start the program in March, said.
The policing program also notifies the public via social media about certain areas.
"Be the eyes and ears for the LAPD, and they can also look out for their own neighborhood," Johnson said.
Johnson said they don't want to tell criminals exactly where they'll be, but they want to publicize a big enough area.
"We're going to be all over the place. Yes, we're going to be doing crime prevention in Predictive Policing areas, but we also have independent crime missions that we do that we don't release out to the community," he said.
Last year, the Pacific Division was averaging 104 crimes per week. Now? They average 95 crimes a week.
Cindy Hench, a Neighborhood Watch coordinator in Westchester, said partnering with the LAPD has helped lower property crime.
"I want everybody who's out and about in our community to be part of preventing crime," she said.
For more information on Predictive Policing, visit LAPD Pacific Division on Facebook or YouTube.
