Conclusion

This concluding chapter reflects on the major lessons learned from this book. The Los Angeles Police Department’s continued use of big data policing underscores the primary argument running through this book—that big data is fundamentally social. At every phase—from big data’s adoption to collection and analysis, institutional intervention, and reception—there is a social patterning to how data is used. There is a need to curb institutions’ craving for data, because that hunger too often outpaces people’s understanding of the intended and unintended consequences of a data binge. The chapter then offers guidelines for academics, lawmakers, and community groups regarding how data can be leveraged to promote efficiency, fairness, and accountability in criminal justice reform. It also discusses the future of law enforcement; identifies policy and research priorities; and argues that the implications of big data surveillance extend beyond policing into other social sectors.