Richard Berk a criminologist at the University of Pennsylvania and three other colleagues have come up with a software that can predict potential killers.
Though not as fascinating as the technology used in the movie Minority Report starring Tom Cruise, it will definitely be a great boon targeting the limited resources towards the most dangerous people.
This software uses step analysis to pick out the most probable cases in the existing database of criminals of Philadelphia that would commit murder.
Homicide is usually a rare crime committed by most probationers, only 1 percent go on to commit a murder, thus making it difficult to avoid the crime beforehand.
How the software works is, around 30-40 data variables are inputted and then the computer scores each of them. The added score gives the riskiest people.
The data variables are scored according to known facts, which include men are more potential killers than women and violence at an early age very often leads to murder.
Berk and his colleagues used probation department reports of 2002 to 2004, they examined the traits of those that went on to kill and this set up a model for the software.
Thus, using this software the police department can keep a constant eye on the riskiest of probationers.
The flipside is of course the fact that a non-likely offender might commit homicide.
Ref and Source: KRT wire
