4. The Just City: Machine Learning’s Social and Political Foundations

In 2012, while reviewing reports of recent crimes, a data analyst for the Cambridge, Massachusetts, Police Department (CPD) noticed a striking pattern of thefts: laptops and purses were repeatedly being stolen on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at a local cafe. While no incident on its own would have indicated much, the full set presented a clear case of a thief acting systematically. Having determined this pattern of behavior, the analyst could predict when and where the thief would strike next—and catch them in the act.