A rare look inside LAPD's use of data

Since 2011, Silicon Valley-based software firm Palantir has helped the Los Angeles Police Department analyze data, ranging from license plates photos, to rap sheets, traffic tickets, listings of foreclosed properties and more. The company, which also works with government agencies such as the CIA and FBI, is quietly transforming how police operate. Palantir doesn't reveal how many clients are using its tools, but police departments in both California and New York have previously worked with the company. Sarah Brayne, a sociology professor at the University of Texas in Austin, conducted more than 100 interviews of officers and civilian employees. What follows are six of Bayne's most striking findings:
1. Surveillance today is unprecedented
2. Citizens without police contact can be tracked
3. Sharing data helps cops do their jobs
4. Not all officers love the new surveillance tools
5. Big data has a role in inequality
6. Laws haven't kept up with technology