Luke LeBrun

In the wake of increased public attention on police violence, Canada has seen a cottage industry of "social enterprises" pop up that pitch services to police forces at policing conferences / trade shows to help them present themselves to the public as "socially conscious."

Helpseeker is a Calgary-based "social impact" firm hired by police in several cities to produce dubious reports used to justify expanding police budgets at the expense of social services.

https://pressprogress.ca/police-across-canada-are-hiring-a-tech-company-to-justify-bigger-budgets-and-belittle-social-services/

Police Across Canada Are Hiring a Tech Company to Justify Bigger Budgets and Belittle Social Services

Helpseeker, a Calgary-based ‘social impact’ firm, has been hired to produce reports for police in Edmonton, Vancouver and Ottawa

PressProgress
Nov 18, 2022 at 4:00pmWeb
Show threadLuke LeBrunNov 18, 2022

Another example:

In the middle of the convoy, Ottawa Police hired an "AI-driven market research" firm to conduct a bizarre "predictive" analysis of what public sentiment would look like if police enforced the law and cleared the streets.

(The analysis was based entirely on social media posts and a "predictive" algorithm)

https://pressprogress.ca/ottawa-police-conducted-public-opinion-research-on-its-convoy-plan-before-sending-trucks-downtown/

Ottawa Police Conducted Public Opinion Research on its Convoy Plan Before Sending Trucks Downtown

Internal emails show Ottawa Police used artificial intelligence to model how local residents would react to their convoy plan

PressProgress
Show threadJamesNov 18, 2022
@llebrun that is ridiculous. Enforce the law.
Show threadgNov 18, 2022
@llebrun there is absolutely zero chance this gave them any real information that meant anything
Show threadno more strolls for empressesNov 18, 2022
@graeme_0 @llebrun The results of the "analysis" were posted somewhere. Pretty crude conclusion.
Show threadno more strolls for empressesNov 18, 2022
@llebrun ' don't suppose this or other algorithms used in "predictive" policing ever get released, huh?
Show threadLes LoreNov 18, 2022
@llebrun I am curious if anyone is following uptick in off-duty police biz of private security as well. Forsythe at CGL is a Protos Security Company which I think is owned by Southfield Capital that seems to be on an acquisition growth curve. Private security is big biz. Allied paid $5.1 billion to buy G4S
Show threadno more strolls for empressesNov 18, 2022
@llebrun Capitalists attempting to capture yet another progressive/socially conscious term, it seems
Show threadBe_OutsideNov 18, 2022
@llebrun Calgary Pigs need that propaganda, since they all seem fine intimidating people with their thin-blue-line garb as though it doesn't affect how they deal with the public.