Report: From Predictive Policing to Prescriptive Policing

In short

The publication describes predictive policing as police operations based on predictions of crime, made by analysing big data with sophisticated algorithms.

It covers the development and underlying principles of predictive policing and its challenges and opportunities for law enforcement and private security services.

Prescriptive policing goes a step further: where predictive policing forecasts when and where crime will occur, prescriptive policing predicts how effective a particular police action will be.

According to the publication this requires an integrated approach combining purpose, process, information, technology, and people and organisation.

It concludes with a roadmap of four implementation levels for now and the future; the full PDF can be downloaded for free.

Summary added in 2026 to make this archive easier to use. The original article follows unchanged.

White, egg-shaped autonomous Knightscope security robot standing in an empty shopping centre hall near an escalator.

The autonomous Knightscope droid uses Predictive Policing software to know where it should be

Predictive Policing is nothing more than police operations based on predictions of crime. By crunching big data with sophisticated algorithms, the police will be able to predict crimes and be present at locations where the next incident is most likely. This publication describes the development of Predictive Policing and its underlying principles. Introducing Predictive Policing in law enforcement services and private security services may be inevitable, but also offers challenges and opportunities in the area of application, people and organisation, process, information and technology.

Street map of central and eastern Amsterdam with red, orange and yellow grid squares highlighting areas, in the style of a predictive policing risk map.

If Predictive Policing can predict when and where crime will occur, Prescriptive Policing can predict the effectiveness of a particular action by the police. That, perhaps, is the second holy grail everyone seeks. Even more so, it will require an integrated approach that combines purpose, process, information, technology and people and organisation. The publication therefore concludes
with a roadmap of four implementation levels for now and the future.

A zero crime day actually happened in LA. But key is the dosage in the box: #PredictivePolicing pic.twitter.com/wNbvbZAmY7

– Arnout de Vries (@ADeVries23) April 26, 2016

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Sources: TNO

Questions about this article

What is the difference between predictive and prescriptive policing?

Predictive policing predicts when and where crime is most likely to occur. Prescriptive policing, as described in this publication, predicts how effective a particular police action will be.

What does the TNO publication on prescriptive policing contain?

It describes the development and principles of predictive policing, the challenges and opportunities in application, people and organisation, process, information and technology, and ends with a roadmap of four implementation levels.

What is the Knightscope droid mentioned in the article?

The article shows an autonomous Knightscope security robot and says it uses predictive policing software to know where it should be.

Questions and answers added in 2026, based on the article above.