#police - AlgorithmWatch

Story, 18 July 2023

AI-powered surveillance

In Mannheim, an automated system reports hugs to the police

Mannheim, a large city on the Rhine, deployed a video system that claims to automatically detect physical violence in some streets. It can confuse hugging with strangling, and it is unclear whether it can actually prevent violence.

CC-BY Nelson L. on Flickr

Story, 30 March 2023

Basque Country: how an algorithm to assess the risk of gender-based violence sees people from “different cultures”

Police in the Basque Country use an algorithm to predict gender-based violence. The tool's accuracy is unclear, and it leaves a lot of room for the personal opinions of police officers.

Foto von Mika Baumeister auf Unsplash

Story, 12 January 2023

Does a simple algorithm help against domestic violence?

Police officers in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania predict the likelihood of a future incident of domestic violence using ODARA, a Canadian tool with unproven reliability. It helps cooperation with social workers, but does not work all the time.

Polska Zielona Sieć | Wiki Commons | CC BY 2.0

Story, 13 December 2021

Inside Poland’s stay-at-home “selfie” app

The Polish government's mandatory "Home Quarantine" app was supposed to replace home police visits. Users say it is a joke.

CC BY SA West Midlands Police

Story, 1 October 2021

An English police force created its own ethics committee and it’s totally not ethics washing, they say.

The West Midlands police force, which controls 2.9 million persons around Birmingham, created its own independent ethics committee in 2019. Despite its work and its transparency, critics are not convinced that it is a solid enough counterweight.

Εφημερίδα ΠΡΙΝ | Flickr

Story, 28 January 2021

Flush with EU funds, Greek police to introduce live face recognition before the summer

Greek police are due to receive gear that allows for real-time face recognition during police patrols. Despite concerns that the system could seriously affect civil liberties, details about the project are scarce.

Ed Westcott|Wikimedia

Story, 27 October 2020

Spanish police plan to extend use of its lie-detector while efficacy is unclear

Veripol is a software that assesses the veracity of complaints filed with the Spanish national police. It was introduced in 2018, but it’s unclear if it works as intended.

Luis García |Wikimedia

Story, 11 August 2020

Spain’s largest bus terminal deployed live face recognition four years ago, but few noticed

Madrid South Station’s face recognition system automatically matches every visitor’s face against a database of suspects, and shares information with the Spanish police.

Boehlich |Wikimedia

Story, 22 July 2020

Swiss police automated crime predictions but has little to show for it

A review of 3 automated systems in use by the Swiss police and judiciary reveals serious issues. Real-world effects are impossible to assess due to a lack of transparency.

Ronnie Macdonald|flickr

Story, 7 July 2020

Slovenian police acquires automated tools first, legalizes them later

The Slovenian police legalized its use of face recognition 5 years after it started to use it. Despite formal safeguards, no institution can restrain the Interior ministry.