Empowering Change: Harnessing Data to Drive Significant Operational Advancement

• In Event: Smart Policing Initiative: Promising Practices in Police Technology

Abstract

IDEA Analytics and Davenport (IA) Police (DPD) will join the SPI Thematic Panel to discuss the organizational changes that enabled the DPD to use data to lower gun violence and improve their response to violent crimes. Discussants will share the steps to connect disparate data sources to create near-real-time analytics to inform investigators and quickly address shooting events. A variety of innovative solutions aimed at bridging this data utilization gap, including leadership workshop sessions, in-person, virtual and asynchronous analytical training, and peer exchanges designed to enhance the analytical capacity of department personnel played a pivotal role in the Department’s success during its tenure within the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance Smart Policing Initiative (SPI). This quasi-experimental evaluation design assesses data utilization in gun violence investigations, integrating survey responses, administrative data analysis, and staffing interviews. Employing a mixed-methods approach, panel members will share the impact of data-driven strategies on investigative outcomes. Insights illuminate the efficacy of utilizing data in addressing gun-related crimes, informing law enforcement practices. The presentation will conclude with fundamental considerations for other researchers and policymakers in transforming police practices.

Authors

• Neil Hubbert, IDEA Analytics

• Jessica Herbert, IDEA Analytics