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Chicago Pre-Crime - Racism Cloaked in Science

posted by LaminatorX on Wednesday February 26 2014, @11:00PM   
from the studies-show-poverty-causes-cancer dept.

Angry Jesus writes:

"The Chicago Police Department is mis-applying epidemiological science (the study of entire populations) to target individuals in a real-life version of Minority Report. They have decided that it is a good idea to put people on a secret list based on a Big Data analysis of their social networks. But don't worry, it isn't racist or abusive because, Science!"

• Re:Purpose of Police (Score: 4, Interesting) by edIII on Thursday February 27 2014, @02:44AM

  by edIII (791) on Thursday February 27 2014, @02:44AM (#7729)

  I see how you can see it as an extreme, but I don't see it as an extreme. Not anymore. I'm sure that is because I'm impossibly jaded and cynical at this point. I'm not sure how you couldn't be with the last 15 years.

  It was not said to be histrionics at all. I honestly and sincerely believe that the purpose of police at this point is simply to keep society functioning and remove disruptive elements, not about any sense of protection, justice, the triumph of good over evil, rescuing cats from trees, etc.

  The original idea of police was to create an organized and consistent approach to maintaining order in society, and to assist with the search for justice. The police *enforced* the directives of the justice system (the judges), who in turn, were guided and directed by the law creators, who were in turn ostensibly guided by the bests interests and welfare of the populace as a whole.

  Where is the idea of rehabilitation anymore? Prison has become an industry and I don't think the idea of true justice and rehabilitation has been a goal of the police, the justice system, or the prison system for many many decades. To say that there is a significant monetary interest in keeping prisoners in prison and not rehabilitated is an understatement. People are getting extremely rich from enjoying the near minimum wage cash flow per prisoner (sometimes more) while expending a mere fraction of that for incarceration. How did we ever think it was a good idea to introduce profit into the prison system?

  I could go on, but there is so much evidence that shows every element in the aforementioned chain is irreparably broken and corrupted by monied interests.

  While the term 1% may smack of tin foil and histrionics, it is neither to notice how deep their influence now runs.

  When you have Big Data influencing who the cops will focus on, and a cop is always under the assumption you did something if they are focusing on you, my experience and intelligence leads me to strongly conclude that a miscarriage of justice will occur that is inconsistent with our American ideals.

  I do know who is responsible for Big Data, it is monied interests, and has nothing to do with justice, security, or laws.

  Big Data is about identifying targets and coming up with the best course of action to achieve a goal. We could hope that would only be how to target advertisements to you and what you are capable of consuming, but we all really know it will be used to identify "subversives", "undesirables", and "thought-criminals".

  I absolutely know that my big cynical jaded butt will be labeled as a Class-1 Thought Criminal by those that would be financially affected by my ideas. Like justice for home owners, consumer protections, government transparency, ... you know... the pinko Communist Socialist garbage that is an anathema to quasi-Capitalists and mythical free-market supporters everywhere.

  --
  Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.

  Parent

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