Crime prevention remains a key part of the job description of the Japanese police but one force is emphasising crime prediction.
Kyoto Prefectural Police have introduced a computer-based simulation that crunches data on more than 100,000 crimes committed in recent years and identifies where and when similar incidents are likely to happen again. This has allowed the police to ensure more officers are on the beat at specific times and locations, national broadcaster NHK reported.
Officers have also been able to use the data patterns to identify suspects in certain types of incidents, including bag snatchings and indecent assaults, and to clear 38 historic cases and secure five convictions.
Known as the Predictive Crime Defence System, the computer identifies areas of cities
in the prefecture where people are most at risk of certain types
of crimes, with dark colours overlaid on a map indicating a higher chance of a certain type of incident taking place.