Police in Lorain use technology to help predict crime before it happens, make break-in arrest

LORAIN, Ohio - A police department in northeast Ohio is using technology to help predict crime before it happens.

When Lorain police pulled over Kelly Rice, it was like they were two steps ahead of the alleged burglar.

"They pulled over Kelly Rice for a minor traffic violation, he had stolen jewelry on him and was committing burglaries in the area," said Lt. Mark Carpentiere of the Lorain Police Department.

In Rice's car, officers also found electronics and a child's identification card with an address on it.

Police went to that address where family members said their home had been broken into. It was the fifth break-in on Lorain's west side.

"We had a string of burglaries happening in a certain area of town," said Carpentiere.

It wasn't luck that had police at the right place -- it was technology.

"We have some new software to help us track crime and analyze crimes as they are committed."

Rice was pulled over at W. 20th and Oberlin Avenue, and that's due in part because of the information police had entered into a computer program.

Based on the data they had entered, the program told them where they should patrol at what time and what day, even what the suspect might have stolen.

"These programs can put this data together for us that a person might miss. Instead of just randomly driving around, we can concentrate in trouble spots," said Carpentiere.

It's a trend called intellegence-led policing.

The computer programs were developed for the military and now are being used by police departments.

"They analyze your data, crimes committed, people who committed them and they can help you concentrate your patrols in certain areas. In this case, they can sometimes predict what may happen next and where it will happen," he said.

Rice has been charged with burglary, receiving stolen property, drug abuse and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police are working to connect Rice to the other break-ins in the city.