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500k facial scans at UK stations yield no arrests, 1 false positive

518 points · 305 comments · ilamont

  1. benbristow · · focus · HN ↗
    I've had an idea in the back of my head but I'm no businessman so have this one for free.

    Build an AI model, train it from the catalogues of JD Sports and Sports Direct (and other brands like Stone Island etc.) and how to detect balaclavas, illegal electric bikes and e-scooters. Have it link to cameras and do a percentage chance using machine learning on chance of crime. Also increase the percentage if a 'wheely' is done (riding only on back wheel).

    Would minority report the majority of crime in this country in one fell swoop.

    Could call it ScroteScanner.

    Some would call it discrimination but the majority of ASB I see around my area are people dressed/using those exact things.

    If they start to catch-on (unlikely) then worse case we have a fancier looking society with gangsters in suits again.

    1. trashb · · focus · HN ↗
      You may want to check your numbers and remember there is a huge negativity bias on crime.

      It seems the sense of safety is often different from the actual numbers especially when stereotypes are involved as shown in parent comment regarding to e-scooters. To such an extent that there is the phenomenon called the crime decline paradox.

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.kcl.ac.uk&#x2F;news&#x2F;public-perceptions-of-crime-at-odds-with-reality-study-finds" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.kcl.ac.uk&#x2F;news&#x2F;public-perceptions-of-crime-at-od...

      1. gadders · · focus · HN ↗
        You also need to factor in how the police won&#x27;t actually turn up for most crimes, so there is no point reporting unless you need to do so for insurance policies.

        Also, clicking through, you can see the whole report is some panglossian delusion aimed at making Reform supporters look bad.

        1. trashb · · focus · HN ↗
          &gt; You also need to factor in how the police won&#x27;t actually turn up for most crimes, so there is no point reporting unless you need to do so for insurance policies.

          Do you have sources for that?

          I see how it could be read as a political coloured article however since you are already &quot;clicking through&quot; you might want to continue clicking to the actual data sources. The takeaway I had from the article is that in any political group people are misjudging the crime rates it is not relevant to the discussion what political ideology is at a higher rate. If you search online there is a wealth of different articles about this topic from multiple political standpoints and different countries where unrest is growing around crime prevention and perception.

          1. gadders · · focus · HN ↗
            The source is the experiences of friends, neighbours, colleagues as well as newspaper stories.
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