Author Archives: Eric Piza

Advanced Security Cameras Give Cities New Ways to Deter Vandalism and Theft

The prank sounds harmless enough: High school students wait until dark, pour soap into a public fountain and laugh as it fills up with bubbles. But when it happened 17 times in one year — ruining several $30,000 pumps and requiring a two-day cleanup process each time — city officials in Opelika, Ala., began searching for aContinue reading “Advanced Security Cameras Give Cities New Ways to Deter Vandalism and Theft”

As ShotSpotter rolls out in Tacoma, feelings over gunshot detection technology remain mixed

In an effort to curb gun crime, Tacoma announced last year that it was turning to a tool called ShotSpotter. ShotSpotter is a form of Gun Detection Technology (GDT), which uses a series of acoustic microphone sensors to track loud bangs, booms, and pops in a designated area. Once those “dynamic events” are triggered, aContinue reading “As ShotSpotter rolls out in Tacoma, feelings over gunshot detection technology remain mixed”

Eric Piza named Lipman Family Chair in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Eric Piza, a professor of criminology and criminal justice, has been named the new Lipman Family Chair in Northeastern University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Established in 1999 by Ira Lipman, the founder of private security company Guardsmark, the Lipman Family Chair supports the work of Northeastern academics whose research and instruction in criminologyContinue reading “Eric Piza named Lipman Family Chair in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice”

AI gunshot detection technology at UMD raises concerns about false positives, policing

UMPD has spent more than $135,000 on AI gunshot detection with payments spanning 2017 to 2023, despite concerns about the technology’s accuracy, according to records obtained by The Diamondback. University of Maryland Police use ShotSpotter — an artificial intelligence-based acoustic gunshot detection system owned by the technology company SoundThinking — to alert campus police inContinue reading “AI gunshot detection technology at UMD raises concerns about false positives, policing”

Profs on Cops: Closed-Circuit TV Systems

Most local law enforcement agencies have their own closed-circuit TV systems, aimed at curbing crime and apprehending criminals. According to Eric Piza, Professor of Criminology at Northeastern University, who has studied this in Newark, N.J. and elsewhere, CCTV systems can reduce both violent crime and property crime if linked to strategic staff deployment. 

Examining use of Force Outcomes in Police Calls for Service: Evidence from Cincinnati

Joel Miller, Sam Guthrie, and Eric L. Piza (2024) Crime & Delinquency Version of RecordOpen Access Post Print Abstract This study explores the correlates of use of force (UOF) in police responses to calls for service (CFS), drawing on situational, community, and organizational perspectives. Linear probability models were used to analyze CFS and UOF recordsContinue reading “Examining use of Force Outcomes in Police Calls for Service: Evidence from Cincinnati”

SVT Nyheter (Swedish): Camera researcher Eric Piza drew full houses in Malmö

Det var fullsatt när amerikanska kameraforskaren Eric Piza bjöds in att föreläsa på Malmö universitet om teknikens möjligheter att säkra tryggheten på allmänna platser. Det var en fullsatt föreläsningssal på Malmö universitet som ville ta del av forskaren Eric Pizas presentation om teknikens roll att säkra tryggheten på allmänna platser. Värd för inbjudan var kriminologenContinue reading “SVT Nyheter (Swedish): Camera researcher Eric Piza drew full houses in Malmö”