Conversations on Public Safety: The Den

Change or No Change: Reflections on Crime Trends

For today's conversation, Jessica introduces Dr. Jim Austin, the Director of Strategic Initiatives at JFA Institute, to The Den. Together, they discuss and reflect on his studies with observed and forecasted crime rates. The discussion highlights how policymakers and police leadership can analyze the intersection between criminal justice policies, socioeconomic factors, and long-term trends to understand and effectively address crime rates.  Throughout the episode, they discuss Dr. Austin's collaboration with Rick Rosenfeld on a group of reports commissioned by the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. These reports created statistical models for forecasting US crime rates and examined potential policy shifts to reduce the US's high rate of incarceration. They discuss the details of the report and the significance it had on the field as a whole. Dr. Austin also explores the challenges in predicting crime shifts and then taking action to change them with factors including population, age, inflation, household dynamics, and politics.  Topics Covered: * The typical analyses that Dr. Austin does for corrections and how they have supported crime reform changes * Breaking down the importance of the forecasting reports Dr. Austin and Rick Rosenfeld collaborated on * The successful diversion of youth from the juvenile justice system  * How economic, demographic, and political factors relate to crime trends  * The decline in crime rates and the need to rethink police and policymaking staffing and performance over quantity  * Dr. Austin’s perspective on the future of successful long-term policy change  Resources: * JFA Institute  [http://www.jfa-associates.com/] * Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation [https://www.hfg.org/] * Link to reports [https://www.hfg.org/crime-trends/] Learn More: * IDEA Analytics Website [https://analyticsbyidea.com/] * IDEA Analytics LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/idea-analytics-llc]

Defining Space and Place for Public Safety

For today's conversation, Jessica welcomes Neil Hubbert to The Den, a research associate for IDEA analytics. Together, they discuss the complexities of creating boundaries for police districts or reporting areas through the lens of data analytics. Neil believes that a combination of experience-driven insights from officers and data-driven perspectives from analysts is essential for effective policing. Throughout the episode, they dive into the unique challenges that police agencies face when reevaluating their jurisdictions and present strategies for accurately representing the communities they serve within those boundaries. They emphasize the importance of understanding the historical context and patterns of police responses and explore how this information can guide division decisions. They also consider how departments can shift away from districts and focus on the data to regulate resources.  Topics Covered: * Breaking down police beat management and why they should be tied to the personality of the community  * Challenges police departments face when considering changing their districts or reporting areas * The differences in policing within a city with irregularly shaped boundaries, like those on the East Coast  * How the history of police responses and patterns influence changing boundaries  * Why response time and availability of officers needs to be considered for structured fluidity  * The importance of understanding a community's definition of their area, including boundaries and neighborhoods * Examining the possibility of shifting away from districts to managing resources based on data  Resources: * IDEA Analytics Online Courses [https://analyticsbyidea.com/online-courses/] * ArcGIS Learning [https://www.esri.com/training/] Learn More: * IDEA Analytics Website [https://analyticsbyidea.com/] * IDEA Analytics LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/idea-analytics-llc]

Envisioning a New Service

In the field of law enforcement, the use of intentional language is crucial to convey values, build relationships within communities, and create clear divisions within police departments. In this episode, the panelists engage in a debate about reimagining police departments, focusing on their ideal structures, correct language when naming them, and their hierarchy. The conversation highlights the complexities and challenges of designing a modern, community-oriented law enforcement agency. Throughout the conversation, the panelists propose that the new agency should be community-centric and have dedicated units for addressing area-specific issues. The panelists emphasize the importance of prioritizing victim services rather than solely pursuing criminals and the need for appropriate language when interacting with families. Plus, they debate the number of divisions necessary to achieve the agency's goals. Topics Covered: * The panel proposes a "Guardian Division" to replace patrol units, emphasizing community engagement and problem-solving  * The name and designations for investigations of crimes against victims * Renaming divisions to better align with civilian roles * Highlighting a division that includes support roles such as SWAT, bomb units, helicopters, and canines * The need for a division dedicated to victim services, including victim advocates, outreach coordinators, and public health professionals * Debating the necessary amount of divisions and their structures  * The importance of professional standards, finance, and public information * The challenges of defining departments  Learn More: * IDEA Analytics Website [https://analyticsbyidea.com/] * IDEA Analytics LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/idea-analytics-llc]

Capacity and Leadership Part II

In part II of the previous episode's discussion on policing capacity, today, the panel questions whether the traditional expectations of police officers, including being armed and having the power to detain, are appropriate for all aspects of their work. They explore the idea that sworn officers may not always be necessary to provide protection when responding to traffic accidents, mental health crises, overdose calls, etc.  Throughout the episode, the panel considers alternative solutions to these calls and discusses the potential need for new roles within police departments. With the evolving expectations of modern policing, they also explore the roles of victim advocates, forensic interviewers, crime scene technicians, school resource officers, and store security as well as the type of training these roles should undergo.  Topics Covered: * The situations that will always need a police presence  * The importance of victim advocates in reducing investigators' workload  * Why professionalizing crime scene search with civilians improves its quality  * Understanding responsibilities of crime analysts and the resources they should have access to * Debating if the police should be involved in school monitoring, traffic accidents, and suicide calls  * The training that is necessary to respond to the most high volume types of calls  Resources: * Opinion survey (website) Learn More: * IDEA Analytics Website [https://analyticsbyidea.com/] * IDEA Analytics LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/idea-analytics-llc]

Capacity and Leadership Part I

Building on previous episodes that tackled crime, race, and capacity, today, the panel dives deeper into the capacity of leadership within public safety agencies. They explore innovative law enforcement approaches and challenge us to think differently about who and what public safety includes and does.  Throughout their conversation, they emphasize the need for leaders to embrace vulnerability and innovation. They share their insights on breaking away from traditional divisions and creating specialized units staffed by civilians. Plus, the panel debates the role of patrol divisions in law enforcement. They outline the potential benefits and concerns of redirecting certain responsibilities, such as traffic enforcement, to trained, non-sworn personnel. Also, they touch on the capability of banks and insurance companies to investigate financial crimes, and question the level of police involvement in such cases.  Topics Covered: * The importance of critical thinking skills and taking calculated risks in leadership development * Creating a unit of civilians for crime scene search and analysis * Misconceptions surrounding the allocation of 70%-80% of police staff to the patrol division  * The use of non-sworn personnel for traffic enforcement * Police involvement in traffic accident investigations * Questioning the need for police involvement in the investigations of financial crimes Learn More: * IDEA Analytics Website [https://analyticsbyidea.com/] for a list of police activities we evaluated for civilian v. sworn responsibility  * IDEA Analytics LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/idea-analytics-llc] * LEMAS Data [https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/NACJD/series/92]