Organizational Challenges from the Analyst Perspective

• In Event: Roundtable: Linking Criminological Research to Policy and Practice

Abstract

This presentation discusses the challenges of implementing and sustaining a hypothesis testing approach in a large urban police department. The discussion will address picking the right crime problem and physical location of the problem. As well as implementing interventions that are not always police focused. The hypothesis testing approach had been designed to focus crime analysis and integrate the crime science methodology to both analytical structures and decision-making business processes. Rather than teaching a generic analytical skill set, Philadelphia SPI's approach specifically focused diagnostic skills and critical thinking on problems identified by a diverse group of officers from different ranks and roles in each target police district. The approach grew from initial ad hoc successes (as evidenced by the certificates awarded at the 2014 ACJS conference) to the trialing of a complete methodology in a couple of districts.

Authors

• Lisa Howdyshell, Philadelphia Police Department

• Ryan Fisher, Temple University