A Florida Sheriff Launched An Algorithm To Predict Who Will Commit Crime

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A central Florida sheriff built an algorithm meant to predict which people in his jurisdiction were likely to commit a crime in the future.

But according to a six-month investigation published this week by The Tampa Bay Times, the high-tech tool deployed by the Pasco County Sheriff's Office didn't lead to a reduction in violent crime — instead, dozens of families singled out by the algorithm said they were routinely harassed by deputies, even when there was no evidence of a specific crime.

In September of 2019, deputies reportedly showed up at 15-year-old Rio Wotjecki's door because the algorithm had determined that Wotjecki was one of the county's "Top 5" at risk of committing more crimes.

Before that, Wotjecki had only been arrested one time, a year prior, for sneaking into a carport and stealing motorized bicycles. He served time in juvenile detention for that offense, and hadn't committed any subsequent crimes — but because of the algorithm, police showed up at Wotjecki's house to question him at least 21 times beginning with that September visit, Wotjecki's mother told The Tampa Bay Times.

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