Beyond Effectiveness: Legitimising Predictive Policing in Germany
There is no conclusive evidence that predictive policing is effective in reducing crime. Further, our interview partners, the representatives of the scientific-analytic branches of three German state police forces, do not claim that their predictive policing programs directly reduce crime rates. In...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Dr. Mario Bachmann, Dr. Nicole Boegelein
2020-09-01
|
| Series: | Kriminologie - Das Online-Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.kriminologie.de/index.php/krimoj/article/view/67 |
| _version_ | 1811232326931185664 |
|---|---|
| author | Libuše Hannah Vepřek Lynn Sibert Linus Sehn Leo Köpp Daphne Friedrich |
| author_facet | Libuše Hannah Vepřek Lynn Sibert Linus Sehn Leo Köpp Daphne Friedrich |
| author_sort | Libuše Hannah Vepřek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is no conclusive evidence that predictive policing is effective in reducing crime. Further, our interview partners, the representatives of the scientific-analytic branches of three German state police forces, do not claim that their predictive policing programs directly reduce crime rates. In this article we ask what — in the absence of effectiveness — are the core legitimised narratives employed to underpin the conception and implementation of predictive policing in Germany? Analysing our semi-structured in-depth interviews with representatives from the state criminal investigation departments in Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, we find five legitimised narratives. Those narratives can be separated into positive legitimisation narratives (efficiency and transparency within police administration) and negative ones (autonomy/independence, human control, transparency to the public, and soft-pedalling). The former give reasons for actively introducing this new technology, while the latter aim at preempting criticism. Interestingly, security-driven narratives remained absent from the interviews which we discuss at the end of this article. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:01:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9fb82290ec1e4101b57b305e280cefe3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2698-6779 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:01:22Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Dr. Mario Bachmann, Dr. Nicole Boegelein |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Kriminologie - Das Online-Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-9fb82290ec1e4101b57b305e280cefe32022-12-22T03:35:56ZdeuDr. Mario Bachmann, Dr. Nicole BoegeleinKriminologie - Das Online-Journal2698-67792020-09-012310.18716/ojs/krimoj/2020.3.3Beyond Effectiveness: Legitimising Predictive Policing in GermanyLibuše Hannah VepřekLynn SibertLinus SehnLeo KöppDaphne FriedrichThere is no conclusive evidence that predictive policing is effective in reducing crime. Further, our interview partners, the representatives of the scientific-analytic branches of three German state police forces, do not claim that their predictive policing programs directly reduce crime rates. In this article we ask what — in the absence of effectiveness — are the core legitimised narratives employed to underpin the conception and implementation of predictive policing in Germany? Analysing our semi-structured in-depth interviews with representatives from the state criminal investigation departments in Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, we find five legitimised narratives. Those narratives can be separated into positive legitimisation narratives (efficiency and transparency within police administration) and negative ones (autonomy/independence, human control, transparency to the public, and soft-pedalling). The former give reasons for actively introducing this new technology, while the latter aim at preempting criticism. Interestingly, security-driven narratives remained absent from the interviews which we discuss at the end of this article.https://www.kriminologie.de/index.php/krimoj/article/view/67predictive policingeffectivenesslegitimisation narrativesdigitization of police work |
| spellingShingle | Libuše Hannah Vepřek Lynn Sibert Linus Sehn Leo Köpp Daphne Friedrich Beyond Effectiveness: Legitimising Predictive Policing in Germany Kriminologie - Das Online-Journal predictive policing effectiveness legitimisation narratives digitization of police work |
| title | Beyond Effectiveness: Legitimising Predictive Policing in Germany |
| title_full | Beyond Effectiveness: Legitimising Predictive Policing in Germany |
| title_fullStr | Beyond Effectiveness: Legitimising Predictive Policing in Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond Effectiveness: Legitimising Predictive Policing in Germany |
| title_short | Beyond Effectiveness: Legitimising Predictive Policing in Germany |
| title_sort | beyond effectiveness legitimising predictive policing in germany |
| topic | predictive policing effectiveness legitimisation narratives digitization of police work |
| url | https://www.kriminologie.de/index.php/krimoj/article/view/67 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT libusehannahveprek beyondeffectivenesslegitimisingpredictivepolicingingermany AT lynnsibert beyondeffectivenesslegitimisingpredictivepolicingingermany AT linussehn beyondeffectivenesslegitimisingpredictivepolicingingermany AT leokopp beyondeffectivenesslegitimisingpredictivepolicingingermany AT daphnefriedrich beyondeffectivenesslegitimisingpredictivepolicingingermany |