Author Archives: Eric Piza

C|NET: Amazon Ring Alerts Often Tie Up Police with False Alarms

In May, police in Hammond, Indiana, got a suspicious-person alert from a concerned resident. She could see a man, she told officers, through her Ring smart doorbell. The resident had already sent police another message, along with footage from her internet-connected video doorbell, about an earlier incident. Now the resident was even more frightened, havingContinue reading “C|NET: Amazon Ring Alerts Often Tie Up Police with False Alarms”

The Post and Courier: When SC Residents are Afraid to Call the Police, Technology Alerts Officers of Gunshots

At 12:50 a.m. June 17, the sound of gunshots rips through a neighborhood in northern Columbia. A sensor relay picks up the sound waves, triangulating their origin — 5118-2 Mauldin Ave. Alerts are sent to officers, who converge on the scene, according to a police report. They recover seven shell casings from a .22-caliber firearm.Continue reading “The Post and Courier: When SC Residents are Afraid to Call the Police, Technology Alerts Officers of Gunshots”

Risk Terrain Modeling: Seasonality and Predictive Validity

Szkola, J., Piza, E. and Drawve, G. (2021) Justice Quarterly, 38(2): 322-343 Published ArticleOpen Access Post Print Abstract: This study focuses on crimes involving firearms in Baltimore, Maryland to answer three research questions concerning the effect of seasonality: 1) Do changes in the seasons affect which spatial factors are significantly related to crime?; 2) DoesContinue reading “Risk Terrain Modeling: Seasonality and Predictive Validity”

NBC News New York: I-Team Investigation: ‘Insane’ Car Modification Mimics Gunfire, Induces Panic

Tinted windows and hydraulic lowriders are so … 1990s. One of the latest trends in custom car modifications goes way beyond style —and some say it could cause a dangerous panic among pedestrians. The modification usually involves removing portions of a car’s exhaust system and “tuning” the computer that regulates a car’s fuel combustion toContinue reading “NBC News New York: I-Team Investigation: ‘Insane’ Car Modification Mimics Gunfire, Induces Panic”

C|NET: Amazon’s helping police build a surveillance network with Ring doorbells

If you’re walking in Bloomfield, New Jersey, there’s a good chance you’re being recorded. But it’s not a corporate office or warehouse security camera capturing the footage — it’s likely a Ring doorbell made by Amazon . While residential neighborhoods aren’t usually lined with security cameras , the smart doorbell’s popularity has essentially created privateContinue reading “C|NET: Amazon’s helping police build a surveillance network with Ring doorbells”

Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting: ShotSpotter tells Louisville police about gunshots, but officers rarely look for evidence

Christina Wilcox hears the blast of gunfire echo through her Shawnee neighborhood a few times a week. She’s learned to quickly assess the threat: Are her kids safe? Doors locked? Should she drop to the ground? Not a consideration: calling the police. “I don’t do nothing wrong and I’m going to keep it like that,”Continue reading “Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting: ShotSpotter tells Louisville police about gunshots, but officers rarely look for evidence”