Cops Using Math to Predict Crime

Didn't anyone pay attention to how things went for Tom Cruise in Minority Report? Cops in Santa Cruz, California, are using a computer math algorithm to anticipate when and where crimes are most likely to be committed, reports ABC News. Based on earthquake prediction technology, the system uses years of crime data to come up with daily "hot spots" that officers should patrol and what times an offense is likely to occur.

"As we continue budget cuts, as we are facing less and less police officers on the streets, we need to leverage technology to become more effective and efficient," says a department spokesman. By some measures, it seems to be working: The program launched in July, and burglaries were down 27% over the previous July. (More police stories.)