USF researchers from the Department of Criminology and the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing will launch an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven crime forecasting tool with the Sarasota Police Department this week.
The tool uses AI-generated forecasts to anticipate crime patterns and support real-time patrol planning. The Sarasota Police Department鈥檚 chief and deputy chief will use the tool to inform decisions related to officer deployment and day-to-day operations.
Launched as a pilot program, the project will also generate early-stage evidence related to feasibility and implementation. The research team will collaborate closely with law enforcement leadership to ensure outputs from the AI model are practical and actionable.
"Our AI-based crime-place forecasting model is currently in a pilot-testing phase, and we plan to provide an end-user-friendly application for the Sarasota Police Department," said Soohyun O, PhD, assistant professor and co-lead in the Department of Criminology. "The pilot results will also support an external funding proposal aimed at scaling the model for nationwide use across large volumes of crime data from multiple police departments, which we believe will further strengthen the model鈥檚 performance."
The interdisciplinary research team also includes Seungbae Kim, PhD, assistant professor in the Bellini College, and graduate student Abel Le. Bellini College collaborators provide technical expertise in AI modeling, validation, and integration into an applied operational workflow.
YongJei Lee, PhD, assistant professor and project lead summarized the project as a "Theory-guided AI: Turning crime forecasting into predictive policing."
The initiative reflects USF鈥檚 growing emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. With the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences and the Bellini College preparing to launch a new joint major in August that integrates computer science skills and an understanding of human behavior, this project serves as a concrete example of applied, cross-college research that connects academic expertise with community partners to address complex societal challenges.