NEW YORK — Prediction market platform Kalshi announced Monday a groundbreaking partnership with mass surveillance company Flock Safety that will allow users to place wagers on crimes before they occur, a move executives say will bring "unprecedented market efficiency" to the criminal justice system.
The new product, called Crime Alpha™, will combine real-time surveillance data from tens of thousands of cameras nationwide with prediction markets on everything from catalytic converter thefts and package piracy to which teenager will attempt to shoplift energy drinks from a convenience store.
"Traditionally, people had to wait for crimes to happen before profiting from them," said Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour. "We're removing that inefficiency."
Under the partnership, users will reportedly be able to purchase contracts such as 'Honda Accord stolen in Columbus before Friday' or 'Member of the First Family Attempts Insider Trading By Q3'
Company officials stressed that participants would not be able to influence outcomes, though they acknowledged some beta testers had become "extremely passionate" about their positions.
"We noticed a small number of users driving around neighborhoods where they held large stakes in bicycle theft markets," said a Kalshi spokesperson. "That's exactly the kind of engagement we're looking for."
Civil liberties groups expressed concern that combining mass surveillance with financial incentives could create perverse outcomes, but investors dismissed those criticisms as "priced in."
At press time, the companies had unveiled an expanded roadmap featuring futures contracts on money laundering, Boating Under The Influence, and Tax Evasion.
Shares in several private prison operators reportedly surged after traders discovered they could bundle misdemeanor forecasts into a diversified criminal activity ETF.
Industry analysts praised the innovation as another step toward a future in which every human interaction can be transformed into a market.
"Information wants to be free," said one venture capitalist. "And ideally, tradable."