Policing by algorithm: NSW Police’s Suspect Target Management Plan

Abstract

This article considers New South Wales Police's Suspect Target Management Plan (STMP) and its disparate impact on young and Indigenous offenders. The article re-casts analyses provided by the Youth Justice Coalition and the Law Enforcement Conduct Committee to demonstrate the impact of the STMP-II on five individual case studies. While algorithms are becoming increasingly common, this article highlights the risk when algorithms, our increased reliance on data and automation bias combine. As in the case of the STMP-II, the tendency to follow algorithmic outputs without review or critique is especially problematic when algorithms are used to inform decisions affecting individual freedoms and liberty.