Tag: Research

What Works in American Policing: A Strategy-by-Strategy Assessment – R Street Institute

This seven-part series examines major policing strategies through a research-grounded lens, assessing each strategy against multiple criteria:

Credible empirical support
Measurable outcomes
Operational realism (given current staffing constraints)
Constitutional boundaries
Fiscal accountability
Rather than treating policing approaches as interchangeable catchphrases, this series evaluates what the literature actually says about each strategy’s effectiveness and what it means for agencies trying to do more with less while maintaining public trust.

— Read on www.rstreet.org/commentary/what-works-in-american-policing-a-strategy-by-strategy-assessment/

Contact Cards in Cincinnati – A Review of Racial Bias in Police Stops, 2009–2025

The analysis shows that in 2025:

● Cincinnati Police officers stopped Black people 3.4x more often than White people.

● Black pedestrians were stopped 5.4x more often than White pedestrians.

● Black people were stopped in vehicles 3.2x more often than White people.

The Cincinnati Police Department’s data shows that each step in the process – from where and when police stopped people, to who got stopped, searched, subjected to use of force, and arrested – was racially biased against Black people.

Cincinnati Police Department data from 2009–2025 shows:

● Once stopped by Cincinnati Police officers, Black people are:

2.1x more likely to be searched than White people.

1.9x more likely to have force used against them than White people.

1.8x more likely to be arrested than White people.

● In majority White neighborhoods, Black pedestrians are stopped by Cincinnati Police 4.5x more often than White people, and Black motorists experience discretionary traffic stops 5.5x more often than White motorists.

● The more White the neighborhood, the more likely it is for a Black person to be stopped there. Crime rates do not explain this trend.

Get a PDF of the report HERE

Check out a local news report on the reaction of government and the police union. HERE

Lighting and Crime in Vital City | Rubber Meets Road

In the link below, there are several articles that discuss the relationship between lighting and crime. This isn’t anything new. Situational Crime Prevention and CPTED have supported lighting as a crime prevention method. Check out the different maps as part of the link.

Running cities on evidence: street lighting
— Read on www.vitalcitynyc.org/rubber-meets-road/

Review of Akron Police – Department’s Use-of-Force Policies and Practices

Overview

Since 2019, Akron Police Department (APD) officers have been involved in seven fatal 1 and seven nonfatal 2 shootings. In response to these incidents, the City of Akron issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking an independent review of APD’s use of force (UOF) policies and procedures. After a competitive selection process, the City awarded the contract to the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).

Get a PDF copy of the report HERE

Borough Contrast: Prosecution and Court Outcomes Across New York City, 2021-2024

“Borough Contrast: Prosecution and Court Outcomes Across New York City, 2021-2024,” analyzes how criminal legal outcomes vary across the five boroughs during the post-pandemic period (pp. 1, 4).

Below are the key highlights and trends identified in the study:

1. Sharp Rise in Low-Level Arrests

Citywide arrests surged by 62% from 2021 to 2024 (pp. 9, 14). This was driven largely by low-level offenses:

  • Fare Evasion: Increased more than elevenfold (900 to 10,125 arrests) (p. 4).
  • Other Charges: Drug, trespass, and petit larceny arrests all approximately doubled citywide (pp. 4, 13).
  • Borough Leaders: Brooklyn saw the largest increase in misdemeanor (+88%) and nonviolent felony (+73%) arrests, while the Bronx saw the highest spike in violent felony arrests (+49%) (pp. 4, 13).

2. Disparate Prosecution Decisions

Whether a case is prosecuted depends heavily on the borough (pp. 6, 23):

  • The Bronx: Consistently held the highest “declination” rate (refusal to prosecute), declining 40% of misdemeanors and 25% of violent felonies in 2024 (pp. 5, 22-23).
  • Manhattan: Saw a massive shift under DA Alvin Bragg, with misdemeanor declinations rising from 6% in 2021 to 31% in 2024 (pp. 5, 22).
  • Other Boroughs: Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island declined significantly fewer cases, with Queens declining only 6% of misdemeanors in 2024 (pp. 5, 22).

3. Pretrial Release & Bail

The study found significant differences in how judges handle cases at arraignment (pp. 6, 31):

  • Bail Setting: Queens and Manhattan had the highest bail-setting rates for felonies (pp. 6, 31). In 2024, Manhattan judges set bail/remand in 53% of violent felony cases (p. 31).
  • Ability to Pay: By 2024, bail payment rates at arraignment were exceptionally low (4–6% for misdemeanors), meaning a bail order almost always resulted in immediate incarceration (pp. 6, 36).
  • Supervised Release: Judges citywide increasingly relied on supervised release over “Release on Recognizance” (ROR) for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies (p. 33).

4. Convictions and Sentencing

  • Conviction Rates: Criminal convictions remain rare for misdemeanors (only 5% citywide in 2024) (pp. 7, 38). However, for indicted felonies, conviction rates were high, reaching 95% for violent felonies in Staten Island (pp. 7, 39).
  • Prison Sentences: There was wide variability in prison time for felonies. In 2024, 34% of convicted felony cases in Manhattan resulted in state prison sentences, compared to only 12% in Queens (pp. 7, 42).
  • Demographic Disparity: Even after controlling for charge and history, Black and Hispanic individuals were significantly more likely than white individuals to be sentenced to prison (p. 43).

Access the article webpage HERE

Ger a .PDF copy of the article HERE

Traffic Tickets Issued in New York State

Traffic Tickets Issued: Four Year Window

Data extracted from records of tickets on file with NYS DMV. The tickets were issued to motorists for violations of: NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law (VTL), Thruway Rules and Regulations, Tax Law, Transportation Law, Parks and Recreation Regulations, Local New York City Traffic Ordinances, and NYS Penal Law pertaining to the involvement of a motor vehicle in acts of assault, homicide, manslaughter and criminal negligence resulting in injury or death.

Read more HERE

This is the direct link to the data HERE

Applied Police Briefings Journal

Applied Police Briefings (APB) addresses the challenge police professionals face in accessing and understanding policing research. Our mission is to make this research accessible, free of charge, and easy to understand.

Key features of APB include:

User-Friendly Access: An easy to navigate platform for all users
Open Access: Free access to all APB materials
Clarity in Communication: Research briefs are free of technical and statistical jargon
Concise Content: Briefs are kept succinct for quick and easy reading
Reputable Sources: We use reputable, peer-reviewed research that addresses key policing questions
Diverse Perspectives: Incorporating a variety of research methodologies and viewpoints
APB is dedicated to empowering police professionals with research insights to enhance their work.
— Read on appliedpolicebriefings.com/index.php/APB

How to bring professional excellence to the Chicago Police Department

Two landmark studies on the Chicago Police Department just dropped. Here’s what they revealed.

To read The Last Word article “How to bring professional excellence to the Chicago Police Department” copy and paste the link below:
— Read on www.thelastward.org/p/how-to-bring-professional-excellence

To get the Chicago PD “Workforce Allocation Study” and “Community Policing Study”click HERE

For the specific .PDF versions:

Workforce Allocation Study

 

Community Policing Assessment Executive Summary

 

Operationalizing Community Policing at the Chicago Police Department Detailed Assessment and Recommendations