Measurement of a Statewide Gun Violence Reduction Initiative

• In Event: Evaluation Methodology across Criminal Justice Programs

Abstract

New York State is in its third year of the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Initiative. The initiative uses evidence-based strategies (EBPs), including problem analysis (referred to as POP), street outreach, hot spots policing, crime prevention through environmental design, and focused deterrence to reduce gun violence across 19 jurisdictions. Procedural justice is imbedded throughout the work. This first-of-its-kind statewide intervention has important methodological implications for evaluation research. The methodology has shifted throughout the initiative, which began as qualitative and has since grown into a mixed-methods evaluation. The paper describes the development of four separate instruments that measure specific aspects of GIVE, including implementation, fidelity, dosage, and presence or absence of strategy components. As GIVE progresses into its fourth year, the focus has expanded to include the measurement of a paradigm shift towards the adoption of EBPs and POP as everyday operations within the agencies (i.e., District Attorney, Police, Sheriff’s, community supervision). The paper includes a discussion of the unique methodology that transpired from the action research, including reliability and validity of the instruments, measurement issues, data collection, and implications for analysis.

Authors

• Janelle Duda-Banwar, Rochester Institute of Technology

• Thomas Noel, Jr., Rochester Institute of Technology

• Sujeong Seo, Rochester Institute of Technology

• Makini Z Beck, Rochester Institute of Technology

• Kayla Macano, Rochester Institute of Technology

• John Klofas, Rochester Institute of Technology