This two-part Justice Today episode is a discussion among several Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science Scholars, about their experiences with identifying and implementing evidence-based interventions to reduce gun violence.
This the first part of this Justice Today episode is hosted by Dr. Tamara Herold, and features three guests: Police Chief Cecilia Ashe, of Milford Delaware Police Department; Chief of Staff Lieutenant Matthew Barter, of Manchester, New Hampshire Police Department; and Analytical Services Manager, Mr. Jason Schiess, of Durham, North Carolina Police Department. The guests discuss their involvement in Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS), which is a program designed to increase the research capabilities of law enforcement professionals and agencies. The group discusses the increase in gun violence that started in many jurisdictions in 2021, and the response in Wilmington, Delaware, which entailed an evidence-based strategy known as group violence intervention, or focused deterrence, and include tools such as social media analysis. The podcasters discuss challenges involved in measuring crime problems and determining whether interventions work or not. They also discuss Operation Bull’s Eye, a multi-year operation initiated in Durham, which was place-based, so it focuses on the specific places where crime tends to concentrate over time.
In this second part,Dr. Tamara Herold, speaks with three LEADS Scholars to discuss how they have championed the use of science and evidence to reduce gun violence victimization. The guests are Mr. Jason Schiess, Lt. Matthew Barter, and Chief Cecilia Ashe; they are all gun violence experts who serve in different roles across different jurisdictions but are all members of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Law Enforcement Advancing Data in Science Program (LEADS Program). The guests provide details about their use of evidence-based strategies to guide policies and practices toward meaningful and sustainable multi-layered approaches to gun violence reduction, including but not limited to police reform and community outreach.