Turnabout is fair play

Well, it's not exactly turnabout, but there is a certain poetic justice, at least, in this item from AP for Sunday:

Dogged by scandal, the Los Angeles Police Department is looking beyond human judgment to technology to identify bad cops. This month, the agency began using a $35 million computer system that tracks complaints and other telling data about officers - then alerts top supervisors to possible signs of misconduct.

What's interesting here is that faced with their behavior being tracked by computers, police, who are usually so enthused about massive databases when they can be used to probe our lives, are suddenly deeply concerned about privacy and accuracy issues.

The system, developed by Sierra Systems Group Inc. and Bearing Point Inc., mines databases of complaints, pursuits, lawsuits, uses of force and other records to detect patterns that human eyes might miss or choose to ignore. ...

Now, anyone whose conduct differs sharply from their peers' automatically gets flagged. That could mean a vice detective who fires significantly more shots than other investigators or anti-gang cops with a high number of excessive force complaints. ...

If the system pinpoints unusual conduct, it triggers an electronic message to direct supervisors, who must take a second look. ...

Some rank-and-file officers fear the tracking system could mistakenly tag hardworking personnel and hurt their careers.

"How many times do you have to get triggered before they slow you down, transfer you, and you get a bad reputation?" said Gary Ingemunson, independent counsel for the union that represents LAPD officers. "The subtle message is: stay in the middle of the pack. Don't stand out."

Union lawyers also argue that bad cops could game the system by curbing their activities just enough to avoid being detected, while good cops might hesitate in life-and-death situations due to concerns about getting flagged.

"A lot of hesitation could get somebody killed," Ingemunson said. ...

Others wonder whether computer algorithms can analyze something as complex as police behavior. They say no amount of number-crunching can account for stress, personal problems and psychological quirks.

And, at the same time, the bosses, those who control and examine the information, are reassuring everyone how reasonable the whole thing is.

Department brass have tried to ease fears of the computer system, saying most of the cops spotlighted won't face consequences. Many could even receive commendations if the system shows them doing exemplary work.

"Don't worry! It's for your own good!" I love it.