The NYPD wants to add a crystal ball to its crime-fighting tool belt.
The department expects to implement “predictive policing” in three precincts through a pilot program aimed at stopping crime before it happens.
The computer software, called HunchLab, is already being used in Philadelphia and some other police departments.
The department currently pinpoints crime “hot spots” by relying on the CompStat program started by boss Bill Bratton two decades ago.
HunchLab takes this practice to another level by also calculating factors like weather, time of day, pro sports games, special events and proximity of bars to determine whether crimes are likely to occur in specific areas.
The NYPD filed a legal notice this week saying it hopes to enter into a 2½-year agreement with Philadelphia-based software firm Azavea to evaluate HunchLab.
“What we can’t do is say who will commit a crime,” said Azavea founder Robert Cheetham.
The NYPD will not replace CompStat, officials said.