Rant: Futuristic Criminology

About two decades ago, I was studying criminology.  In between mind numbing memorizations of theories of crime and society, brutally scientific study of both qualitative methodology and complex adaptive systems theory, and the academic grunt work expected of apprentices in a rigged system, I had time to do some thinking.

I see that the last of my predictions came true today.  The local rag, the Murky, reported that local police are starting to use predictive software to target patrols and other police activity.

Herewith, the list, from _1995_:

• Cameras required on both police vehicles and on the bodies of police officers.  
  
  
• Gunfire detection systems using acoustics in both fixed mounts and on police vehicles.
  
  
• The use of software to allocate police activity to avoid accusations of discrimination.
  
  
• The increasing militarization of police resulting in the widespread, routine adoption of military weapons and tactics including select fire weapons and excessive use of force against suspects.
  
  
• The routine electronic fingerprinting of all suspects.  The gathering of DNA from all felony suspects.
  
  
• Police aircraft equipped with weapons systems for stopping suspect vehicles.

If I stretch a point (the Coast Guard being part of DHS and thus a police agency), all six have come true in spades.

You get no points for being right too soon.  There is bittersweet satisfaction in knowing that my C- paper is a retroactive A.

But I have to live in the society thus made.  And, so do you.  Enjoy.