Real-Time Crime Forecasting Challenge

The National Institute of Justice plans to release a Crime Forecasting Challenge later this year. A challenge competition poses a problem or question to the public and requests a practical solution; rewards are offered for solutions that meet the criteria set out by the sponsoring agency. The Crime Forecasting Challenge seeks to harness the advances in data science to address the challenges of crime and justice. It encourages data scientists across all scientific disciplines to foster innovation in forecasting methods. The goal is to develop algorithms that advance place-based crime forecasting through the use of data from one police jurisdiction. NIJ will award up to $1.2 million in prizes for the most effective and efficient forecasts at the conclusion of the Challenge. NIJ plans to release the Challenge and the first datasets in early September 2016. For information, go to http://nij.gov/funding/Pages/fy16-crime-forecasting-challenge.aspx.