Gunshot detections systems work. No, gunshot detection systems don’t work. Can we have it both ways? It’s kind of like the first line in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Well? Which is it? This week we’ll be discussing Gunshot Detection Systems and theContinue reading “Gunshot Detection Systems: The Price of Policing?”
Author Archives: Eric Piza
Exploring Officer Patrol Behaviors Using Automated Vehicle Locator and Body-Worn Camera Data
Funder: National Institute of Justice ($862,804) Principal Investigator: Eric L. Piza Co-Principal Investigators: Nathan T. Connealy & Victoria A. Sytsma Project Overview This project is a mixed-methods research project that leverages automated vehicle locator (AVL) data and body-worn camera (BWC) video to analyze police patrol activity and police-citizen interactions. We will first operationalize daily patrolContinue reading “Exploring Officer Patrol Behaviors Using Automated Vehicle Locator and Body-Worn Camera Data”
AI vs. Human Transcription: Evaluating Accuracy and Meaning in Police Body-Worn Camera Footage
Savannah A. Reid, Stephen Abeyta, Eric L. Piza, Nathan T. Connealy, and Victoria A. Sytsma Journal of Experimental Criminology (2026) Research BriefVersion of Record (Open Access) Key Takeaways Research Summary Body-worn cameras (BWCs) are now standard in American policing, but the resulting volume of footage makes systematic review difficult without automation. AI-powered automatic speech recognitionContinue reading “AI vs. Human Transcription: Evaluating Accuracy and Meaning in Police Body-Worn Camera Footage”
Computational Approaches and the Future of Urban Crime Research
Gian Maria Campedelli, Zubin Jelveh, Aaron Chalfin, Daniel Semenza, Eric Piza, Ariadna Albors Zumel, Bruno Lepri, and Patrick Sharkey Nature (2026) Version of RecordOpen Access Post Print Abstract Urban environments have long been a central focus for crime researchers across diverse disciplines. Over the past few decades, this heterogeneous area of inquiry has experienced substantial methodologicalContinue reading “Computational Approaches and the Future of Urban Crime Research”
Geographic Networks of Gun Violence: Exploring Hot Spot Connectivity through Ballistic Evidence and Social Network Analysis
Eric L. Piza, Cassie McMillain, and Daniel Trovato Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency (2026) Research BriefVersion of record (Open Access) Key Takeaways Research Summary The criminology of place has long established that crime is not evenly distributed across a city. A small minority of geographic hot spots account for a disproportionate share ofContinue reading “Geographic Networks of Gun Violence: Exploring Hot Spot Connectivity through Ballistic Evidence and Social Network Analysis”
Officers’ body cameras all fell off during violent arrest. Phoenix doesn’t know how much it happens
Despite tens of millions of dollars spent on the technology, the Phoenix Police Department does not track how often officers’ body cameras fall off during use-of-force incidents. ABC15 asked the city if it kept data on “body-worn camera dislodgements” while reporting on a violent and controversial arrest that appears to be set to end upContinue reading “Officers’ body cameras all fell off during violent arrest. Phoenix doesn’t know how much it happens”
Eric L. Piza Appointed Lipman Family Professor of Criminal Justice
On February 2nd, Northeastern University celebrated the installation of Eric L. Piza as the Lipman Family Professor of Criminal Justice. The endowed professorship recognizes Professor Piza’s leading scholarship in evidence-based policing, place-based crime prevention, and the use of technology and data in criminal justice—and strengthens the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice’s commitment to researchContinue reading “Eric L. Piza Appointed Lipman Family Professor of Criminal Justice”
KC wants to keep funding gunfire detection system. But has it reduced crime?
The Kansas City Police Department continues to request funding for a gunshot detection technology that research shows has not reduced shootings or improved case clearance rates. While the technology has not improved clearance rates or reduced shootings, research has shown that it has improved response times and evidence recovery.
Here Be Dragons: Burdens of Knowledge and Innovation in Evidence-Based Policing
Eric L. Piza Evidence Base: Criminal Justice Research, Policy and Action (2026) Research BriefVersion of Record (Open Access) Key Takeaways Research Summary This essay argues that evidence-based policing (EBP) has reached a critical inflection point. Decades of rigorous research have clarified which policing strategies can reduce crime, but this success has also produced new challenges.Continue reading “Here Be Dragons: Burdens of Knowledge and Innovation in Evidence-Based Policing”
Pokémon cards bring business — and thieves
When Ron Zeida woke up in the middle of the night to a barrage of texts, he knew something was wrong. On Dec. 1, a burglar broke into his Vanguard Comics store in Barnstable and swiped roughly $1,000 worth of merchandise from the shelves. In under a minute, the thief left the store’s glass doorContinue reading “Pokémon cards bring business — and thieves”
Eric L. Piza, Ph.D. 