“Stratified Surveillance: Policing in the Age of Big Data”
In the wake of 9/11, federal agencies provided considerable funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to collect, analyze, share and deploy a wide range of new data. Increasingly, local law enforcement agencies recognized these data could be useful in their own daily operations. The rise of “big data” raises a host of questions about the social implications of new surveillance technologies and analytic practices. In my research, I analyze the use of big data within the Los Angeles Police Department by conducting interviews with sworn officers and civilian employees in area and specialized divisions, and at the regional intelligence center. I also conducted observations in police units on ride alongs to study how officers deploy data in the field. I focus on the organizational transformations associated with the adoption of big data analytics, how the police themselves contest the use of big data, and the ways in which predictive analytics relate to social inequalities.
Tuesday Oct 6, 11:00 – 12:30 (ANSO 134)