Skip to main content

Chicago hasn’t yet found an effective tech tool for cutting murder rate

Predictive policing isn’t working in the Windy City. The Chicago Police Department’s Strategic Subject List is an algorithm-driven intervention tool intended to head off crime and reduce the number of homicides, but studies so far show no progress, according to The Verge.

Chicago is an incubator for new policing techniques, The Verge reports. For years the city has run experimental programs, trying to find the right solution or mix of solutions to reduce violent crime and cut the homicide rate.

Recommended Videos

In 2013, The CPD received a $2 million grant from the National Institute of Justice for a new type of crime prevention. Originally called the “heat list” but later renamed the Strategic Subject List (SSL), the program uses algorithms to identify people likely to become involved in a shooting. The program was “created by an engineer at the Illinois Institute of Technology,” the Verge reported in 2014.

In addition to using arrest records, the program also added people socially connected to known shooters and shooting victims. In addition to just making a list, another part of the program was intervention, sending police officers with social workers from the Chicago Violence Reduction Strategy group at John Jay College.

The thinking behind the intervention strategy was to have both law enforcement and people who could provide social services engage with people on the list.

“We want to show them the carrot and the stick,” said Christopher Mallette, executive director of the Chicago Violence Reduction Strategy group. “We want them to know they can get help — but we also want them to know that if they don’t keep in line, there’s a jail cell waiting for them.”

At the time critics said it could just end up as another form of profiling.

A recently released Rand Corporation study (subscription required) showed that people on the list were not more or less likely to be victims — of shooting or a homicide — than a control group, but they were most likely to be arrested for a shooting. So in the end, it didn’t identify victims and it didn’t deter shooters.

The Rand report authors told The Verge that the SSL wasn’t being used as originally intended and that with up to 11 different programs going on in the CPD when the SSL was started, it “just got lost.”

The Chicago Police Department responded to the Rand report in a press release. The CPD said the study focused on an earlier version of the SSL, that “the prediction model discussed in the report is the very early, initial model (Version 1), developed in August 2012. We are now using Version 5, which is significantly improved.”

The CPD also said of the current version of the SSL, “which has since evolved greatly and has been fully integrated with the department’s management accountability process.”

Predictive policing expert and law professor at the University of the District of Columbia, Andrew G. Ferguson wrote in an email to The Verge, “Just creating a data-driven ‘most-wanted’ list misses the value of big data prediction. The ability to identify and proactively intervene in the lives of at-risk youth is a positive, but you have to commit to the intervention piece. Just directing police toward those individuals for traditional policing is not enough.”

Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
Mitsubishi’s back in the EV game—with a new electric SUV coming in 2026
mitsubishi bev 2026 momentum 2030 line up

Mitsubishi is officially jumping back into the U.S. electric vehicle scene—and this time, it’s not just dipping a toe. The company confirmed it will launch a brand-new battery-electric SUV in North America starting in summer 2026, marking its first fully electric model here since the quirky little i-MiEV left the stage back in 2017.
The new EV will be a compact crossover, and while Mitsubishi is keeping most of the juicy details under wraps, we do know it’ll be based on the same next-gen platform as the upcoming Nissan Leaf. That means it’ll ride on the CMF-EV architecture—the same one underpinning the Nissan Ariya—which supports ranges of up to 300+ miles. So yeah, this won’t be your average entry-level EV.
Designed in partnership with Nissan, the new model will be built in Japan and shipped over to U.S. shores. No word yet on pricing, battery size, or even a name, but Mitsubishi has made it clear this EV is just the beginning. As part of its “Momentum 2030” plan, the company promises a new or updated vehicle every year through the end of the decade, with four electric models rolling out by 2028. And yes, one of those might even be a pickup.
Mitsubishi says the goal is to give customers “flexible powertrain options,” which is marketing speak for: “We’ll have something for everyone.” So whether you're all-in on electric or still into gas or hybrid power, they're aiming to have you covered.
This mystery EV will eventually sit alongside Mitsubishi’s current U.S. lineup—the Outlander, Outlander PHEV, Eclipse Cross, and Outlander Sport—and help the brand move beyond its current under-the-radar status in the electric world.
In short: Mitsubishi’s finally getting serious about EVs, and if this new SUV lives up to its potential, it might just put the brand back on your radar.

Read more
Toyota unveils 2026 bZ: A smarter, longer-range electric SUV
toyota bz improved bz4x 2026 0007 1500x1125

Toyota is back in the electric SUV game with the 2026 bZ, a major refresh of its bZ4X that finally delivers on two of the biggest demands from EV drivers: more range and faster charging.
The headline news is the improved driving range. Toyota now estimates up to 314 miles on a single charge for the front-wheel-drive model with the larger 74.7-kWh battery—about 60 miles more than the outgoing bZ4X. All-wheel-drive variants also get a boost, with up to 288 miles of range depending on trim.
Charging speeds haven’t increased in terms of raw kilowatts (still capped at 150 kW for DC fast charging), but Toyota has significantly improved how long peak speeds are sustained. With preconditioning enabled—especially helpful in colder weather—the new bZ can charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Also new: Plug and Charge support for automatic payment at compatible stations and full adoption of the North American Charging Standard (NACS), meaning access to Tesla Superchargers will be standard by 2026.
Under the hood, or rather the floor, Toyota has swapped in higher-performance silicon carbide components to improve efficiency and power delivery. The AWD version now produces up to 338 horsepower and sprints from 0–60 mph in a brisk 4.9 seconds.
Toyota didn’t stop at just the powertrain. The exterior has been cleaned up, with body-colored wheel arches replacing the black cladding, and a sleeker front fascia. Inside, a larger 14-inch touchscreen now houses climate controls, giving the dash a more refined and less cluttered appearance. There’s also more usable storage thanks to a redesigned center console.
With the 2026 bZ, Toyota seems to be responding directly to critiques of the bZ4X. It’s faster, more efficient, and more driver-friendly—finally bringing Toyota’s EV efforts up to speed.

Read more
Cheaper EVs ahead? GM and LG say new battery cells are the key
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV front quarter view.

General Motors and LG Energy Solution have announced a new phase in their ongoing partnership: developing a new battery cell chemistry that could significantly lower the cost of electric vehicles. The joint effort centers on lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) battery cells, a variation of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) that’s gaining popularity for being more affordable and less reliant on expensive materials like nickel and cobalt.

This is a big deal because battery costs are still the single largest expense in producing EVs. According to GM and industry experts, LMFP cells could help bring the cost of electric vehicles close to — or even on par with — gas-powered cars. The goal? Making EVs accessible to a broader range of drivers without sacrificing range or performance.

Read more