Leveraging Data to Reduce Gun Violence

The Cincinnati Experience

The year 2020 has amplified demands for more equitable policing, more efficient government, and greater transparency. As police leaders around the world attempt to maintain order and safety during a period of large-scale civil unrest, they must also address criticisms that existing law enforcement practices include biased interventions and reinforce systemic racism. Many law enforcement agencies are also responding to increasing numbers of serious crimes that disproportionately affect society’s most vulnerable communities, while simultaneously facing calls to “defund the police” fueled by accusations that challenge the legitimacy of their policing tactics. The strategies used by agencies to manage protests and respond to rising calls for service are under heightened scrutiny, yet one might ask, “Have police leaders developed the internal analytic capacity to answer pressing questions about the fairness and effectiveness of their department’s practices?” Now, more than ever, the profession’s future may depend on leaders’ ability to leverage data to understand, acknowledge, respond to, and explain the impact of their chosen crime response and prevention strategies.