Monday, September 30, 2013

AP Language and Composition Current Events Blog for Week of September 30

Read through the following article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2437206/Police-tackle-burglars-muggers-using-Minority-Report-style-technology-tackle-future-crime.html

Now, list three benefits and three drawbacks of this type of system.

Have you (or someone in your family or your friends) ever been "in the wrong place at the wrong time"?  Do you think this type of system will encourage the proliferation of entrapment?

43 comments:

  1. Many benefits and drawbacks can appear from this system. First, many crimes can be stopped. Also, police have a seven times better chance of being able to catch criminals. Because of this system, street violence has decreased rapidly. Although there are several benefits, there are a few drawbacks. There is a challenge of predicting when crimes will occur at certain locations. Also, predicting policing is another challenge that is created. Another drawback is that the police are no longer able to use overtime. In addition, there was a time when my sisters and mom were in Taco Casa and a guy walked in, screaming at the cash register, threatening them. I do not believe that this system will encourage the proliferation of entrapment. I think that it will decrease the amount of crimes, if anything. The person will be too afraid to do the crime.
    Katy Howard

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  2. the three good things about this system is that it reduce crime in high-risk areas. it allows police to allocate crime in certain areas, and get a better idea of where crime will most likely happen instead of just aimlessly patrolling around local areas. the draw back is something where to happen to they systems the police department who be blind sighted. one thing is how much data can the system handle and the hassle to keep it updated. when the police department takes on this computerized system it is open to hackers and corrupt data that may or may not be detrimental to local or state security. there is always going to be a glitch in the system somewhere. for instance, the statistic for Chicago's west side is that there is a 76% that you may get mugged or raped between 2pm and 11pm. the police will patrol that area in those key times . one error there is no specific place. one time when I lived in Chicago with my mom and aunt, I would walk to the store by myself , which was only about three to two blocks away, I would cross under the train tracks to cut down on time. one day I walked under the track to go to the store around lunch time to get some chips and a drink and a few other things. as I walked under the track; I became aware that some guys where following me a little too close for comfort. I heard them making at calls at me so I ignored them and walked on, then two other guys turned in to walk under the track ,so I ran to the other side and walked to the store. on the way home I walked the long way. then come to find out later on that day that some girl was found under the tracks. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and managed to make it out with the help of Jesus. sadly, other people were not as lucky as me. this type of system will help to reduce crime ,but when people understand the system, they will break it and twist for there use. this makes a need for increase of security and secrecy. this system will help to capture more criminal and stop crimes before they happen. police better hope convicts don't get smart. this may make convicts go to more secrecy. police will have to always keep an edge on crime and tactic with the minority report policing system. the system will work as long as police are always two steps ahead.

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  3. Jana Traywick
    A benefit of the Met's Minority System is that it uses police resources to fullest potential, by allocating police to certain spots that are known for crime, rather than taking a guess. As important is that, the system with it's use of algorithms, decreases crime rates in cities. This can be seen in the article in such places as, Manchester, Kent, Trafford, and the West Midlands. Another benefit of such a system is that it will help prevent crime from possibly happening in the first place. This is because the police will know where to find crime to stop it as well as scare off potential criminal acts. Although, this type of system also has it's drawbacks. To begin with, if criminals know these "hotspots" are profuse with police they will avoid the area and find subtler locations to commit crime. Also, the program could begin to pinpoint certain types of people and not just types of areas. Another possibility is that police will be dispatched to an area and stretch any truth to support the statistics. I do not know of someone personally who has "been at the wrong place at the wrong time" before, yet I am sure it has happened to many people.

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  4. noah barnette- i think it is okay but it is weird that a U.S. army blimp is flying above your city.
    I think there is ulterior motives. I think that they might be spying on people or think that some terrorist live in Baltimore.
    Washington D.C. should remove the blimp because if I was in Baltimore I would think that if another country sees the blimp they might destroy it.

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  5. One benefit of this new system is that more criminals are being apprehended because of it, but one setback is criminals can work around this system easily. Police officers can now know where criminals are most likely to strike, which catches many criminals at first, but criminals can catch on very quickly and can just as easily choose a less "hot" area to commit their crimes. Also, more police will be gathering in just a few areas to catch crimes, meaning less crimes will be caught in the places deemed "safe" to this system. Still, police can feel cool now that they have a super-cool movie gadget to work with.
    My family and I have never been in that "wrong place at the wrong time" situation, but this type of system will encourage the proliferation of entrapment because the police will be at the site of the crime prepared to arrest the criminal-to-be.

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  6. Benefits of this system include: stoping crime before it happens, making high risk areas a safer place to live, and scaring of criminals to reduce the crime rate. The drawbacks of this system include: not being able to stop crime because it is sporadic, making criminals find new places to commit crime, and it takes a while to figure out the pattern and do all the research. One time my mother was on a field trip with her class in Birmingham and saw a domestic abuse situation and had to call the cops. I think that a system like this could result in profiling but at the same time it is more likely to prevent certain crimes. The benefits out way the drawbacks, so I think the system could be really effective.
    Brooke Gilbert

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  7. ~Mark Chapman
    (:Benefits: 1. If the system does work, statistics have shown that crime rates will go down drastically. 2. If the system is made known, criminals will be less likely to commit crimes due to paranoia o watchful eyes. 3. If police are in the right place, they will be able to stop crime in the process, and perhaps even before it begins.
    ):Drawbacks: 1. There is a chance that the system will not work, therefore placing police in a place to wait for a crime that will never happen. 2. If the system became known of in the crime world, chances are that the criminals would just find new methods and places to commit these crimes. People will always adapt. Where there is the man trying to build the strongest shield, there is the man trying to create a stronger sword. 3. This system predicts crimes in certain locations, meaning that if you are in one of these locations and you do something a policeman condemns "suspicious", you could easily be convicted of the crime that was supposed to happen. Even if you are innocent, lawyers are expensive.
    One time I was at a party, sitting on the sofa, minding my own business. A girl that I had seen earlier making a fool of herself by proclaiming her dancing talent to the room and proving such talent by clumsily rubbing her backside on everything that had a zipper within a 10-foot radius of herself while spilling the same amount of her drink on the floor as she would have by holding the cup upside-down, came and sat next to me. Luckily for me, she was having boyfriend problems (surprise) and decided i looked scholarly enough to have majored in psychiatry at the university, so I would be the perfect candidate to listen to her life story and give her advice to make it better. Before I could give said advice, her boyfriend (i assume) came barreling into the living room, pointed his finger at me, and exclaimed, "Bro! I know you ain't talking to my girl!" After a series of events including me laughing, drunk girl crying, and Mr. Masculinity Issues punching me in the face, the scene dissolved. This is like the system in that just because I was sitting near "his girl" he assumed that something scandalous was happening. He went somewhere he knew she would be, and punished the man that he suspected of committing a "crime".
    I think the system will encourage the proliferation of entrapment, and many innocents will be wrongly accused. In contrast, I think the system would do more good than bad. People are wrongly accused now anyways, and if the police force can implement the system properly, the number should not increase too much.

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  8. Benefits:
    1. The system will help reduce crime.
    2. The system will help show the police where the highest crime rates are in the city.
    3. The system will analyze times, dates, and places of crimes and it will predict how many crimes are likely to be carried out if the trend continues.
    Drawbacks:
    1. The system might have glitches that will lead policemen to wrong areas.
    2. The Police will soon be reliable on the system to tell them where the highest crime rates are and they will mostly visit those areas over the smaller crime rate areas.
    3. The system might not be able to pinpoint the crime spots that constantly change.
    I have not and my family has not been "in the wrong place at the wrong time" during any serious crime related places. I do believe that this type of system will encourage the proliferation of entrapment because it will able to pinpoint crime spots and reduce burglary. –Kelsey Skurka

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  9. Sierra Chunko
    Some benefits of the system can be a reduction in labor hours, a reduced crime rate, and safer streets. If the system was created and used frequently throughout America, I would feel more safe roaming big cities alone, and I wouldn't have to worry about something happening to me because I would know where the hot spots for crime are. However, three drawback of the system can include: a reduction of workforce, profiling, and crime could be spread to other areas since hot spots are being constantly watched. An example of being at the wrong place at the wrong time would be when my brother went to pick up his friend at a party and was accused of being there and having his car parked in a 'no parking zone', resulting in him getting a ticket. Just as a policeman can't sit at a bar parking lot, they shouldn't be allowed to sit at crime hot spots to entrap criminals who have yet to commit a crime, and having this type of system would do just that.

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  10. Jala Thomas:

    I think that the computer algorithms, and its way of predicting future crimes is a good idea, but it can also have its Pros and Cons. One benefit of this program is that it could lower the rate of crime in our country. Stopping crime before it happens is what everybody wants. Nobody likes crime, and I'm sure everyone don't want to be around when a crime is occurring. The fact that even the places that are expected to have the most crimes, may be given more attention by the police, could leave attention off places that are not used to having crimes. Once a crime happens too much in one location and the criminal does not get caught, then the criminal will eventually move to another location. Another benefit is that it can warn people where to be out at during certain times of the day and night, keeping more people safe. Also, instead of criminals having time to flee, the police will already be there to capture them, lowering the search for criminals. There has been times when my family have been at the wrong place at the wrong time. For example, when we were in Atlanta, Georgia, we stopped at a gas station and went inside to get some snacks. A random man came in, and got angry with the cashier and caused a big scene like he was trying to rob the store. We left immediately. This program could have stopped that scene before it even happened. This system can have a strong impact, positively and negatively on our society.

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  11. Nisha Singh
    For one this kind of system could prevent crime before it happens, prevent less
    injuries for not only the police but the victim and attacker. This kind of
    system can also prevent natural disasters from occurring. A drawback in this
    kind of system is the system could simply crash. The system could be wrong and
    frame an innocent person and sometimes you should not disturb the natural order
    of things.Yes I have experienced being in a situation at the wrong place and
    wrong time.One time my family and I took a trip to 6 flags and the Superman
    roller coaster broke down. The guy told us if we had came a little early we
    would have been fine, later the ride opened back and we got to ride it. Later we
    regretted it because the ride broke down within minutes of getting out of it.
    Yes because the due process will be limited and the computer based crime
    detection may cause resentment among people. This may lead to a concept of
    justice that is totally authoritarian and is likely that the system many be
    manipulated for the wrong use.
    STAY SWAGGGGGYYYY RAY RAY

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  12. There are three benefits of adopting this algorithmic crime prediction program. One benefit is the current reduced crime rate. Statistics have proven that the new technology has already reduced the crime rate and it is very efficient and effective. Another reason it will be beneficial is that it will lower crime rate in the future. Potential criminals will see nearby police cars in the vicinity before they commit the crime. This will convince many criminals to not commit the crimes, keeping the streets cleaner. Finally, the new system expand job opportunities. There will be a greater need for people to work the algorithmic based computers. This increased need for people will lead to more jobs and an improvement in the economy.
    However there also three drawbacks. Police officers could stereotype and individual and arrest someone before a crime was committed. Also, professional hackers can hack computers and give incorrect information and causing widespread crime throughout a city. Also, the technology used in the system could be faulty and give incorrect data and cause an increase in the crime rate.
    I have been caught in the wrong place in the wrong time before. One time my parents ban my sisters from the cookie jar. I was unaware and was getting a cookie out of the cookie jar. My sisters asked for a cookie and my dad walked in and yelled at me for defying him.
    Yes, the new system will encourage the proliferation of entrapment. Studies have proven that the new system is effective and the police forces of America know what is best to stop crime. They are opened minded and will integrate this new system in and help stop crime in America.

    Chandler

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  13. Predictive policing is beneficial because it would cause a decrease in crime rate. Criminals would be less likely to commit a crime if they know the police are close by. Also, even if a criminal was to commit a crime, the police would be able to arrest them faster due to their proximity. The system would also help people to feel safe, knowing that there are policeman in the right places.
    A drawback of predictive policing is that the police departments could become too reliant on the system and overlook areas that are not calculated to be potential crime scenes. The system would also increase the chance of an innocent person being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Criminals could also change their patterns for choosing areas to commit certain crimes, and the algorithms would become inaccurate or useless.
    Last year, my friend and teammate were at softball practice, and we were working on a drill. She had just taken her turn in the drill; I was about to go. Unfortunately, she was reaching down to pick up a softball to get it out of the way, but I did not know. As I was doing the drill, she was still there (in the wrong place at the wrong time), and I ran into her and broke her nose. I apologized, of course.

    Abriana Fornis

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  14. Kacy Howard


    Some benefits of computer algorithms to predict where crime will happen are that they are seven times more accurate than "chance", it would prevent future crime, and reduce crime in general. The drawbacks are that the police would have to be a bit smarter, they would need people on the job who know how to work the machine, and police would can figure out how to stop the crime in the future. There are many times when I am in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I think the machine would encourage it.

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  15. Three benefits of this system are more crimes will be stopped before they start, there will be less fatalities, and people will feel safer knowing this system is in place. Potential drawbacks of this system are criminals might be able to figure out where the computer is not concerned about and strike there, police might miss crimes that happen in places that are not being watched, and computers might not be accurate. I have been at the wrong place at the wrong time in one particularly memorable instance in my life; or rather, my car had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Once I went to honor society tutoring to aid in the education of struggling children; while I was tutoring, a person who shall remain nameless hit my car. My car was in the wrong place at the wrong time and it resulted in damage to its well being. I do not believe that this system will necessarily lead to proliferation of entrapment because overall I expect a reduction in the crime rate because of the intimidation caused by the new system.

    Sidhanth Chandra

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  16. In recent years, the concept of predicting the location of a crime has become a reality. Researchers in the United States and Europe have created a formula that can accurately predict the location of a crime to within 250 yards. Does this actually work though? In Trafford, England, the burglary rate has fell over 26 percent because police were able to be in the area of a predicted crime and act as a deterrent. The major benefit for this type of police work is the drop in crimes because police are in the area. Also, another benefit is the program can allow police to catch people in the act of committing a crime. The program would also allow for the police to save money because they would not be just patrolling an area where something may or may not happen. On the other hand, there are major drawbacks with a program that relies on computer calculations. The police force may begin to rely too heavily on a system like this and stop their normal patrolling because they think that now they know where everything is happening. The system also has a hard time compensating for the fact that not all crimes “occur in the riskiest places all the time.” The system would also encourage an increasing rate of entrapment. One time, my uncle was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and got arrested for attempted murder because he happened to be in an area where a female was shot in the chest with the same kind of gun that he had on him at the time. This system would increase the rate of entrapment because the police would feel as if the system is always correct and that they must arrest someone there; therefore, they would try and get someone to commit a crime that they would not have committed without the antagonizing police officers.

    ~~Colton Herren~~

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  17. Sydney Moore
    Three benefits of this system include quicker response time for crimes, prevention of crimes, and less investigating time if police are able to catch criminals in the act. Three drawbacks of this system include the fact that this system is not a guaranteed way to predict crime, so there may be some error. Another drawback is criminals may further plan out their crimes to make them more unexpected and intricate, making it harder for this system to work. Also, the police may predict a crime to happen in a certain place and be in that area when an actual crime happens far away from that area. They will not be able to respond as quickly. One of my friends was at a party when the cops showed up. Some of the kids were drinking, but thankfully he wasn't. He got in a lot of trouble with his parents though, even though he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I do think that this type of system will encourage the proliferation of entrapment because it will be an invitation to criminals to see if they can beat the system and commit an unexpected crime and not get caught.
    Sydney Moore

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  18. Bethany Lovell
    There are three benefits to this program: it will help catch criminals faster, will help pinpoint where a criminal is going to attack, and will eliminate the extra work that cops would have to do in order to find a criminal. But, these statistics are supposedly based on mere burglars and thieves who are not smart enough to know how to avoid the law, and the article does not specifically mention murderers and kidnappers who know how to avoid the cops. If they know how to work the system, then this computer system will not truly help to catch them. I have not known anyone truly who has been mugged or attacked, but I do think this will help with the lower-level crimes where the criminals can be targeted because they do go back to the dame place every time and attack the same kind of people. However, I do not think this program will help with the higher-level criminals.

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  19. The PredPol system has many conveniences along with many drawbacks. One advantage of the system is that it can predict future crime places. Another advantage is that it will reduce violence and burglary. The last of many plus sides to this system is that it will make police have a better advantage over the criminals. Also, this system has disadvantages. For example, the system is not 100% accurate, meaning that the police could be keeping an eye out for crime in all the wrong places. Also, the system only covers a 250-yard radius, which would leave a great amount of unprotected area. The last of many disadvantages of the PredPol system is that the crime “hotspots” are always changing, which could make the system less accurate. My Granny was in the wrong place at the wrong time when she worked at a grocery store about 20 years ago in Gadsden, Alabama. She was the manager and robbers came in and locked all the workers in the cooler along with holding a gun to my Granny’s head, but the police showed up in time to prevent any injuries. Yes I do believe the system will encourage proliferation of criminals being caught if it is accurate because the police will know where to catch them before they even commit the crime.

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  20. The System would allow the police force to have a better idea of where crime is most likely to happen; however, criminals often act on spontaneous impulse which is very unpredictable. The system could provide a means for police officers to prevent street violence because gangs and repeat offenders often strike in the same area. Criminals might become aware of the predictability of their actions and become more spontaneous with their criminal acts. The system would allow the early deployment of officers if there is a specific area that has a high crime rate. All computers systems can be hacked, and if a criminal wanted to, he could hack the system and redirected the officers away from his target. Personally, I have never been in a situation where I have been attacked or trapped by someone, but I do happen to love crime solving television shows. Innocent bystanders in the shows are often in the wrong place at the wrong time. An officers on Hawaii five-o was actually at a bank when a group decided to rob the bank. He had to react fast in order to save the two innocent people who got shot when the heist first began. A system like the one from Tom Cruise's movie, Minority Report, would more than likely slow the proliferation of entrapment; however, after it has been used for many years, criminals will make a game out of the system and try to beat the system.

    Sarah Tisdale

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  21. Three benefits of the system would be , less crime, less burglars because they would give up, and a less worried environment. I have never been at the wrong place at the wrong time, but my youth pastor ,told a story about her cousin being put in prison just for being there when this friends committed a crime. Maybe if we had this sort of technology he would still be at home with his family. I think that the system would not encourage the proliferation of entrapment because eventually criminals would give up, but of course there are always going to be those who don't give up. Overall, the system would be very beneficial.
    - Shaquala Courtland (run the trap don't let the trap run you)

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  22. This type of system is very useful, but there are also some disadvantages to it. One benefit of it is that in areas and neighborhoods where crime activity is considerably high there is a way to decrease the crime. Another benefit is that by looking in the areas of high crime, the police can rush over to the area and stop a crime before it even happens, which could mean saving a life. Another benefit is that when crime DOES happen in a predicted crime-filled neighborhood, police can arrive and take care of things before it gets too serious.
    However, like I said before, there are some drawbacks. One is that by rushing to a high-crime area without knowing for certain that a crime is being, or will be, committed, the police could miss a crime being committed in a neighborhood where crime is rare. Another drawback is that crime hotspots often change, so the predicted area may not even be infested with crime anymore. Also, by not checking out low-crime areas often, the rate of crime in that neighborhood could skyrocket and now there is another high-crime area.
    My aunt has been in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was in line at a bank, and then a robber came in with a mask & told everyone not to move and to stay quiet or he would shoot them. Thankfully, the police came before it was too late.
    This type of system will increase the rate of entrapment, because by only focusing on predicted crime areas, it will tragically be oblivious to any suspicious happenings in neighborhoods that are known for having a low crime rate, and therefore causing more crimes. Also, in crime hotspots, if the police show up before a crime even occurs, they will be watching for suspicious people to make one wrong move, or say something to a person about committing a crime, inavertdently creating a crime that would not have taken place otherwise.

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  23. While this system is potentially beneficial to the public it also comes with drawbacks. These drawbacks include dependency on the algorithm, stereotyping or entrapment, and the potential for the algorithm to be used against the police force. If police officers become too dependent on an algorithm that leads them to criminals, they might not continue to put in the necessary work to catch a criminal. This also leads me to the point that if a criminal can figure out the algorithm he or she can plan a crime for the place least likely to be on the radar. Additionally, police might assume that people who live in a place that continues to come up in the algorithm are automatically criminals. Entrapment might also be used by police to ensure they convict someone. This person might not have been planning to commit a crime, but the police could bait him in to it. The benefits that come along with this are a more efficient use of resources, catching criminals more easily and a deterrent for crime. If more police are used in high risk areas this is a better use of their time than simply guessing where a crime will occur. This system can also be used to catch criminals in the act which would in turn deter potential criminals from committing crimes because of the likelihood that they would be caught.

    Jakeias McGee

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  24. Reducing crime, Catching criminals in the act, and being prepared for crimes are all benefits of the system. There are drawbacks however, like crime not always occurring in the most predictable places, man powering being used at a specific location with a possibility that nothing will happen, and the fact that a glitch in the system could cause police force to be somewhere not needed. I have been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Although I was not doing anything wrong I had just approached some people ho were which put me in an awkward position. When parents showed up it was not pretty. I do think a system like this would catch people being at the wrong place at the wrong time and could potentially get them in trouble for something they are not responsible for.

    KACI CRAWFORD

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  25. There are benefits of this method but also drawbacks. One benefit is that the computer algorithms make future crime maps that lead police to where incidents are likely to occur. Second it makes policing up to seven times more successful. Also, all police forces are now being encouraged to adopt the system. Some drawbacks can be if the map said to go one place then it you may get there and its the wrong place. Second, even though the map will help, the criminal will find out that they know the places they mainly go and will cause places somewhere else. Also, the policemen are putting themselves into more danger by being on the scene when the chaos happens. Personally i have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though you aren't doing anything wrong, it still looks as if you were involved too because you were there at that time. This system will encourage the proliferation of entrapment because by knowing where these criminals are you are able to be on the scene as soon as possible and can most likely talk the criminals out of his/her wrong ideas.
    Danielle Deese

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  26. Reece Johnson-
    1. You can reduce the crime rates.
    2. you can scare criminals into not committing as many crimes.
    3. more peoples lives can be saved who might be hurt from a crime.
    drawbacks
    1. What if your wrong and waste time.
    2. money to pay for this technology.
    3. more police to help with this.
    I cannot think of a time my family or I have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think this will encourage entrapment because more criminals will be caught.

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  27. Timothy Brown
    - Fallback:
    1. Lack of privacy
    2. Not always accurate
    3.
    Benefits:
    1. Can help cut down on crime if accurate
    2.Can catch more criminals
    3. It will help the police out
    - My mom has been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Back before I was even thought of my mom used to live in New York, she and my aunt was walking around the city, and a robbery took place, and there was shooting. So she ran in a store and the manager working there was telling them to get out because they was hiding behind the counter, but she made it safely out, and was okay afterwards. Yes.

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  28. The benefits of this system include: catching the villian in the act, seven times more accurate than chance, it analyses times, dates, and places of crimes, and predicts how many are likely to be carried out if the trend continues.
    The drawbacks of this system include: The maps alone cannot reduce crime but they can be used to allocate resources to the areas with the greatest risk of future crime, how it will work in real life crime fighting, and officers might not get there at the right time and place.
    Yes, my sister hit a deer on the way home taking the country road.The deer totalled her car but she was ok.
    It might encourage the proliferation of entrapment but it also might make the criminals think twice about when and where they commit the crime. The crime could spread to other areas no under the radar.
    Megan Bandy

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  29. Benifits:
    1. It could save lives.
    2. It could keep crime rates down.
    3. It keeps burglars out of jail.
    Drawbacks:
    1.Its not complety accurate.
    2.It would be hard to create I guess.
    3.People coild die.
    No one in my family has ever been at the wrong place at the wrong time that I know of. And i do think this will encourage the proliferation of entrapment.

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  30. Shelley Curry
    Using computer algorithms to predict where crime will occur is a great idea. One benefit to this program would be that the rate for crime will go down. In Manchester burglary feel nine percent between May 2010 and May 2011. Another benefit to using computer algorithms would be that police would not waste time at irrelevant places. Police could just predict where the crime would be and would be able to get there immediately. Police would also not have to work as many hours because they would not have to waste their time riding around town for hours looking for crime. Three draw backs to this system would be that it might not work in real life situations all the time, it could malfunction, and the computer system could be hacked. One of my very close friends home was robbed a couple of years ago and all of her TVs and guns were stolen. I do not think that this would make something that is unlikely to happen grow such as crime in places that it does not usually happen.

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  31. This system of criminal work is a smart and efficient idea. One benefit of using computer algorithms is reduced crime rates. The system would allow police officers to stop criminals from committing the crime. Likewise, the system would save investigators a lot of time because they would not have to spend time tracking down criminals if they catch them in the act or even prevent them from doing it. The system would also save time and money because police would not have to drive around and investigate as much. Three drawbacks of the system are computer glitches, hacking, or criminals finding out about the system and changing their tactics. My mom's car has been broken into before. We were attending a play downtown. She was parked in a safe area around a lot of other cars and they chose hers. This was very unexpected and I do not think this type of system would have prevented the break-in.
    Janna Meeks

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  32. Morgan House- The new system has many benefits as well as many drawbacks. The most obvious benefit is that this system will help to stop crime in the areas that are predicted to have it. This new system will also help to make policing "easier" per say, for they have an idea of where to be looking rather than playing a game of guessing. Finally, it may cause criminals to commit less crime in general because they are fearful that they will get caught.
    However, a drawback could definitely be that this system is not a fool proof system, meaning that it has no way of being completely accurate. Also, this system may effect innocent people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. I believe, also, that the criminals will eventually figure out this system that authorities are using, and they will use it to figure out where cops will be heavy and they will commit crime where the cops will be light. Some criminals are smarter than we may think. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time has happened to me way to much in my life. For example, I was at a friends house when they threw a small party in their backyard and a few of the people they invited brought alcohol. I personally was not drinking, however, most people around me were and they were all minors. Sure enough a sherif shows up and I almost got in huge trouble with the police, even though I wasn't doing anything illegal and I was not aware people around me would be drinking. I do not believe this type system will encourage the proliferation of entrapment. Entrapment is a defense that claims the defendant would not have broken the law if not tricked into doing it by law enforcement officials. This does not matter since this system is to help stop and prevent crime, the police aren't tricking anyone into stealing. The new systems benefits, I believe, outweigh the drawbacks, and the increasing technologies on matters like this are very impressive.

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  33. Iyana Gray
    DRAWBACKS:
    1. The system tracks areas with higher concentrations of crime, which could potentially change causing areas of lower crime percentages to increase due to the attention paid to areas of higher crime rates.
    2. The data could be erroneous.
    3. Society would become too dependent on the system's ability to predict crime rate.
    4. Given the assumption that a crime is more likely to happen somewhere increases police awareness, which is beneficial; however, this increase in anticipation may cause officers to become paranoid and arrest anyone for activity that varies slightly from what is considered "normal".
    BENEFITS:
    1. Generally speaking, if the system continues to increase in accuracy, then the number of crimes committed in areas of higher crime rate will most likely decrease.
    2. If the number of crimes committed in areas of higher crime rate does decrease, then the amount of support for the system will increase causing more research to be done on the ability of the model to make accurate predictions.
    3. If the amount of support increases for the program, then the value of American heritage will increase ("Predictive policing originated in America and is based on the principle of drawing conclusions based on the large scale analysis of criminal behaviour").

    I once knew someone who was invited to stay in a hotel with her boyfriend on a trip (this person's boyfriend played professional basketball). All expenses (plus some) had been paid by the basketball player, they didn't even have to share a room because of the supposed respect assumed between the two. On the first day of the trip Anonymous was on their way back to their room after going down to the front desk to report a missing key. Upon making their way back to their room, they heard unfamiliar, baritone voices seemingly occupying the room in which he/she was staying; however, the only voice they could identify was that of their "significant" other. The mention of any potential visitors had never been disclosed upon either of the parties (this person nor their then boyfriend). A sliver of something relevant to caution and fear (call it the 6th sense, intuition) whispered at the back of their mind: " Don't go in". In contrast to typical situations in which that "ghost feeling" is hushed, dampened, or neglected, this person acted and sent for an escort in order to retrieve their belongings from their room, which consequentially resulted in their departure from a potentially dangerous situation. It was later revealed that rope had been brought into this person's room in their period of absence (while reporting the missing key). The strangers in the person's room had been waiting, preying on them. Although this person did not suffer any direct consequences from being in the "wrong place" at the wrong time, the potentiality of it all still causes me to reflect on the infinite possibilities of what could have happened. The irony in all of this is that the "wrong place" didn't seem like the wrong place at all. A vacation with someone who you assume will protect you rather than divulge ulterior motives doesn't usually assume such a pretense.
    Yes, I believe the type of system aforementioned will perpetuate entrapment primarily due to the assumptions raised on the accuracy of the data collected.

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  34. Silvia Brosolo

    A great benefit of this system is the fact it can give policemen the possibility to be more ready and organized to catch burglars; this causes another advantage, that criminals could be stopped before they actually committed the crime, preventing harms to their victims; finally, as the article reports, a better efficiency of the police would obviously decrease crime acts themselves.
    On the other hand, statistics and algorithms can not predict with 100% success real time events, also because every person (and so every criminal) is different and thinks and acts in a different way, even if only slightly. Moreover, if too much trust is put into these predictions and areas that are considered more at risk are controlled more closely, it could happen that crime acts that happen in less risky areas or that weren't contemplated in the predictions find the police force unprepared. Finally, these kind of informations could be more easily modified to lead the police on the wrong path, since nowadays there are many expert hackers.
    What could happen if this system is very much supported and sponsored by the government or the police force is this: since the system is expected to work, when it predict a crime in a place but it reveals to be a wrong prediction, entrapment may be used just to prove the method right.

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  35. Sharly Lovitt
    One advantage of this program is that it does, indeed reduce crime. However, when the predictions are incorrect police forces could simply be wasting their time in that area. If they do happen to be in the right place at the right time, that is a definite advantage on the side of law enforcement. Another problem is that now that this article has been released, criminals will be aware of this plan if they happen to peruse any Internet news site. On the side of law enforcement, though, they may be able to better ensure the safety of officers by preparing them more sufficiently.

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  36. Benefits: Crime rates drop; stores don't get robbed; police actually catch the robber when robberies occur.
    Drawbacks: robbers begin to pinpoint other locations to rob, throwing off the police; the system could malfunction through virus/any other computer problem; could be extremely easy for robbers to pick up on it and change their location to rob.

    My great uncle owns Beauty Mark on Skylan blvd. and I know they have been robbed on a couple occasions, it being a pretty popular store and all.
    I believe that robbers are not as stupid as they are made out to be, so they will eventually figure out that police will be around the popular places to rob and begin to rob other places they won't suspect. Just because they're criminals doesn't mean they have no life. They could possibly come across the exact same article we read and go warn their robber buddies not to rob the same places too much. Honestly, it was hard to find three benefits and drawbacks, because I saw only one main benefit but and even larger drawback. I dunno. Maybe I look into things more than I should, but I think the system would be fairly easy to out do.

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  37. benefits:
    1. crime could be lessened.
    2. not only would the police stop the criminals but eventually the criminals could potentially give up crime for good since there is no way out of getting caught.
    3. people would feel more safe when out at night or by themselves

    drawbacks:
    1. not all criminals are stupid so I feel like someone could easily find a way around the police
    2. there will probably have to be more hired because no one is going to want to stand around in one spot all day watching for basically nothing
    3. money. we're already in debt enough as it is, why spend more on something that could be a failure.

    I haven't personally been in that kind of situation enough to WANT this system, but in my opinion if a criminal wants something or someone enough, no machine or police is going to stop them.

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  38. I feel like the system would be very helpful in that if we target areas then they can bump up police patrols and such. Also another good thing it might can pinpoint areas that the police don't think about crime happening. It can also help reduce crime rates because if the criminals know they are being watched more closely then it will drop.

    The downfall of all this is why spend this money? These are things they could have done with just normal reports. If you know crime is happening in an area then patrol it. Also, computer results aren't perfect. If the police start to rely on this too much then it could cause increases in some areas. Finally research is just that research. Life doesn't always follow the textbook.

    I think this could cause some targeting to cultures, races and economic statuses. Crime has been proven to happen in certain areas due to these things and people will feel that they are being targeted.

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  39. Caylin Kliner
    One benefit of this system is the fact that instead of seeing where a crime has been, the system looks forward. It is made to stop crimes before they happen, which is what any community would want. The second benefit is it lets people know the high risk of crime in a certain environment, and for how long it will be at risk. The third benefit is it may actually slow down the crime rates, because no criminal is going to commit a crime if they know they are going to be watched. This system is a great idea, and you would think that it would not have any drawbacks, but it does. The first drawback is it doesn't predict WHO is committing the crime...only the crime itself. This could cause a lot of controversy, because if criminals are sneaky enough, they are going to cover their identity 100% and the police could mistake a criminal for someone else. The second drawback is that this type of system would most likely be very expensive. Because, if they can't find WHO did the crime, the system is kind of pointless and then they spent all of that money for nothing. I mean, there is crime every day. There is crime going on right now as I'm writing this. So, it doesn't really matter knowing/seeing the crime, it depends on WHO did the crime. The third drawback is that the system will hinder the public's connection with the police by only focusing on smaller areas. I have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, so has my family. Everyone is going to experience that in their life. It doesn't matter what type of system we have, crime is crime and it is going to happen no matter what system we have. Having a system that looks at crimes before they happen, is similar to a person drunk driving. They're going to get caught anyway and they don't care. So, they're not going to care if you're watching the crime happen. No one is careful. Just because we have a system like that, it doesn't mean everyone is going to stop committing crimes. I think the system is a friendly idea to help the community, but it is a waste of money.

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  40. There are may benefits to this system. It would make it easier to find and catch criminals act. This would reduce the number of officer you would to have on patrol because they would know where the crime would happen. The only drawback I see is if a crime is committed then someone could be arrested when they didnt even commit the crime. Which could cause a lot of problems.

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  41. Pros:
    - crime rate decrease
    - more productive police training
    - job increase

    If "preCrime" is ever instituted it will probably have more cons than pros. Computing patterns an suspects and possible crime occurrences will not stand in court, for one. You can't really try someone for a crime they "would have" committed because you have no physical evidence. That being said, this would leave cops with the idea that they have no choice but to provoke criminals or normal people into committing crime in order to make a case (entrapment). I would give "preCrime" a definitive no. There are other ways to decrease crime without relying on science fiction and maybe's.

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  42. Griffin Sheffield,
    Three benefits of the system are: the possibility of stopping crime before it happens, less time spent solving cases by the police, and will give police the newest and most advanced technology. Three drawbacks are: the possibility of the system being hacked or criminals finding loop holes in the algorithm, it would cause the police to focus on certain areas more than others while crime could be happening where they aren't, and it would probably be very expensive. I, myself, have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the 8th grade, i was on my church bus when a car heading towards us hit us head on. We later found out he was driving under the influence. I think it will encourage the entrapment.

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  43. Three benefits of this system are that the information in the maps give police a seven times better chance of being able to catch criminals, burglary is dropping anywhere from 6-26% in places like Manchester and Trafford, and the predictive policing is beginning to spread all over the world. Three drawbacks of the system are that it is no longer possible to throw "overtime" at crime, which means to spend too much time on any one case. Also, what would happen if they misread or misanalyzed the information and got the wrong person? They would be preventing a burgalry or crime that was not even going to happen. Furthermore, the data pulled together is that only of a policeman. Policemans aren't the only ones who look up the data, criminals do too.

    A family friend of mine was involved in being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was apart of a shooting, he didn't shoot or intend on shooting, but he was put into jail and almost had the death penalty, all for something he did not do. I think this system will increase the police's ability to entrap criminals and lessen the chance of falsely accused people. A positive outlook: there are far more benefits than drawbacks when using this program.

    ~Emmy Melchior

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