2021/24715 - Predictive policing programmes
REQUEST
We sent Gwent Police a FOIA request in 2018 seeking information about whether it was using predictive policing programmes. You responded to confirm that Gwent Police was not trialling or using any predictive policing programme.
We write to you again under FOIA to request information on Gwent Police’s current use of predictive policing programmes.
By predictive policing programmes, we mean any police programme that involves the inputting of data and production of outputs that are used to predict where and when crime will happen, usually either by identifying areas of ‘high crime’ or individuals who are likely to commit or be victims of crime. Usually but not always predictive policing programmes use algorithms or artificial intelligence to evaluate police data and make predictive decisions. In addition to ‘predictive policing programmes’, you may refer to these programmes as ‘algorithmic decisionmaking’, ‘predictive mapping programmes’, ‘individual risk assessment programmes’, etc.. Please answer the following questions.
- Is Gwent Police currently trialling/using, or does it have plans to trial/use, any predictive policing programme?
If the answer to question 1 is yes, please answer questions 2 to 7 in respect of each programme trialled/used or for which there are plans to trial/use.
- What is the name given to this programme?
- When was the programme first used/trialled?
- How does this programme work? Specifically:
- Please explain the purpose of the programme.
- Please provide any documents that outline the scope and operation of the programme.
- Please provide any guidance/policies governing Gwent Police’s use of this programme.
- Please provide any Privacy Impact Assessment, Data Protection Impact Assessment and/or Equality Impact Assessment conducted in relation to this programme. Please provide the dates when these assessments were conducted. If no such assessments were conducted, please state as such.
- What testing and/or research has been conducted in order to investigate the potential for bias within the programme, in order to comply with Gwent Police’s Public Sector Equality Duty under s149 Equality Act 2010?