Amnesty Urges Ban on Predictive Policing in UK Citing Bias

Amnesty International reports that predictive policing tools used by most UK police forces are discriminatory, unfair, and dangerous, calling for their ban. The human rights group asserts that these systems, which use algorithms and data to estimate where crimes are likely to occur, are rooted in “racist” policing practices like disproportionate stop and search targeting of Black individuals. This, according to Amnesty, corrupts the systems and reinforces racial profiling.

Predictive policing involves computer programs that use data and algorithmic models to forecast crime. Thirty-two of the 45 local police forces in the UK utilize geographic crime prediction tools, while 11 use individual prediction methods. Amnesty’s report, “Automated Racism,” contends that these systems perpetuate structural and institutional racism within policing and the criminal legal system.

The report cites an increase in stop and search activity in Basildon, Essex, following the implementation of predictive policing, with Black individuals being stopped and searched almost 3.6 times more frequently than white individuals and subjected to force nearly four times as often. In London, the introduction of predictive policing in Lambeth in 2020-21 resulted in the second-highest volume of stop and search among London boroughs.

One individual, referred to as David, claims he was repeatedly targeted by police, including after placing a sticker on a lamp post, and now experiences post-traumatic stress disorder requiring weekly therapy. A resident of Grahame Park, north London, designated a “high crime” area, stated that police enter the area with a mindset of policing the community as dangerous, regardless of age.

Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, asserts that predictive policing has minimal or no impact on reducing crime and violates fundamental rights. He warns of a future where technology determines criminality based on race or socioeconomic background.

Police maintain that predictive policing helps cut crime by allowing for strategic resource deployment. The National Police Chiefs’ Council states that data informs policing responses and maximizes resource use, including concentrating resources in areas with high crime rates. They acknowledge the detrimental impact of tools like stop and search, particularly on Black people, and emphasize the importance of balancing crime prevention with community trust.