Human Rights and Algorithmic Impact Assessment for Predictive Policing

Constitutional Challenges in the Algorithmic Society, Cambridge University Press, 2021, Forthcoming

16 Pages Posted: 22 Jul 2021

See all articles by Céline Castets-Renard

Céline Castets-Renard

Civil Law Faculty; University of Toulouse 1; ANITI (Artificial and Natural Intelligence Toulouse Institute); Institut Universitaire de France; University of Ottawa

Date Written: July 20, 2021

Abstract

Law enforcement agencies are increasingly using algorithmic predictive policing systems to forecast criminal activity and allocate police resources. For instance, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles use predictive policing systems built by private actors, such as PredPol, Palantir and Hunchlab, to assess crime risk and forecast its occurrence, in hope of mitigating it. More often, such systems predict the places where crimes are most likely to happen in a given time window (place-based) based on input data, such as location and timing of previously reported crimes. Other systems analyze who will be involved in a crime as either victim or perpetrator (person-based). Predictions can focus on variables such as places, people, groups or incidents. The goal is also to better deploy officers in a time of declining budgets and staffing. Such tools are mainly used in the US, but European police forces have expressed an interest in using them to protect the largest cities. Predictive policing systems and pilot projects have already been deployed , such as PredPol, used by the Kent Police in the UK.

However, these predictive systems challenge fundamental rights and guarantees of the criminal procedure (part. 2). I will address these issues by taking into account the enactment of ethical norms to reinforce constitutional rights (part. 3), as well as the use of a practical tool, namely Algorithmic Impact Assessment, to mitigate the risks of such systems (part. 4).

Keywords: policing, algorithmic decision-making, biases, discrimination

Suggested Citation

Castets-Renard, Céline, Human Rights and Algorithmic Impact Assessment for Predictive Policing (July 20, 2021). Constitutional Challenges in the Algorithmic Society, Cambridge University Press, 2021, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3890283

Céline Castets-Renard (Contact Author)

Civil Law Faculty ( email )

57 Louis Pasteur Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5
Canada

HOME PAGE: http://https://droitcivil.uottawa.ca/fr

University of Toulouse 1 ( email )

2 rue du doyen Gabriel Marty
Toulouse, 31000
France

ANITI (Artificial and Natural Intelligence Toulouse Institute) ( email )

41 Allées Jules Guesde - CS 61321
TOULOUSE
France

Institut Universitaire de France ( email )

103, bld Saint-Michel
75005 Paris
United States

University of Ottawa ( email )

2292 Edwin Crescent
Ottawa, Ontario K2C 1H7
Canada

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