CAMBRIDGE — It took less than a minute for the crew of five social workers in matching mint-green T-shirts to find people who could use some help. Right outside the door to their Central Square headquarters last month, they found a woman sitting on the ground with a few small bags, taking a rest inContinue reading “Boston Globe: Calling 911 in Cambridge? Soon, the city may send social workers instead of police.”
Author Archives: Eric Piza
NGN: ShotSpotter improves detection and response to gunfire, but doesn’t reduce crime, Northeastern research finds
“Gun violence did not reduce in either (Kansas City or Chicago) following the introduction of ShotSpotter, and shootings were not anymore likely to be solved in either city,” Northeastern professor Eric Piza says. ShotSpotter gunfire detection technology has delivered as promised in terms of enabling police to quickly detect and respond to gunshots in twoContinue reading “NGN: ShotSpotter improves detection and response to gunfire, but doesn’t reduce crime, Northeastern research finds”
GBH 89.7 Boston Public Radio: 13 Mass. Municipalities and 1 University Use ShotSpotter. Critics wonder: Is It Worth It?
Boston police on patrol earlier this month say they heard “several loud bangs,” confirmed by a gunfire locator service called ShotSpotter, leading them to arrests of a Roxbury man on firearm charges. In New Bedford, a local man was detained last year after the system alerted police to a shooting near a housing development. AndContinue reading “GBH 89.7 Boston Public Radio: 13 Mass. Municipalities and 1 University Use ShotSpotter. Critics wonder: Is It Worth It?”
South Side Weekly: CPD Stats on ShotSpotter Full of Holes, Experts Say
A report by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) that said officers respond more quickly to ShotSpotter alerts than 911 calls doesn’t make a convincing argument for keeping the technology, according to experts who reviewed it. Eight university professors specializing in data science, sociology and criminology said the report lacked a number of key statistical measurements,Continue reading “South Side Weekly: CPD Stats on ShotSpotter Full of Holes, Experts Say”
Commonwealth Beacon: ShotSpotter in the Cross Hairs
GUNSHOTS RING OUT in a densely populated city neighborhood. Within seconds, based on data from an array of sound sensors deployed in the area, police are able to pinpoint the exact spot where the gunfire happened and dispatch the nearest officers to the scene, giving them a leg up in the race to catch theContinue reading “Commonwealth Beacon: ShotSpotter in the Cross Hairs”
Government Technology: Study- ShotSpotter Doesn’t Reduce Crime or Shootings
ShotSpotter software might help police get to shootings faster and collect more evidence, but a new study suggests that it doesn’t help reduce crime or shootings, although very few jurisdictions even try to measure its success. Many cities looking for a solution to the problem of the proliferation of guns and shootings opt to acquireContinue reading “Government Technology: Study- ShotSpotter Doesn’t Reduce Crime or Shootings”
ABC News 7: Prince George’s Co. Police Questioned Over Body-Worn Cameras Falling Off During Arrest
WASHINGTON (7News) — 7News I-Team was all over disturbing video coming out of Prince George’s County Police Department involving an officer’s use of force Cell phone video posted on social media showed Prince George’s County police officer Steven Tucker and another officer struggling with a suspect who was handcuffed. During this incident, both officers hadContinue reading “ABC News 7: Prince George’s Co. Police Questioned Over Body-Worn Cameras Falling Off During Arrest”
ABC News 7: Suspects in Prince George’s are Allowed to Sit in Front Seat of Cop Cars. Is That a Risk?
WASHINGTON (7News) — 7News has discovered a major concern about the Prince George’s County Police Department. A lack of backseat cages may have led to disturbing incidents of use of force. It appears that the Prince George’s County Police Department’s lack of back seat cages in their patrol cars in two separate incidents of useContinue reading “ABC News 7: Suspects in Prince George’s are Allowed to Sit in Front Seat of Cop Cars. Is That a Risk?”
ABC News 7: Second Disturbing Use of Force Video From Inside Prince George’s County Police Dept.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Earlier this month, 7News was the first to show you a disturbing video coming out of the Prince George’s County Police Department. One of its officers hit a suspect eight times in the head after the suspect spit at the officer. It was ruled justifiable. Now, 7News has questionsContinue reading “ABC News 7: Second Disturbing Use of Force Video From Inside Prince George’s County Police Dept.”
ABC News 7: Prince George’s County Officer Hits Suspect 8 Times in Head After Being Spat On
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. (7News) — 7News obtained a disturbing video of a Prince George’s County police officer and his use of force. Some of the footage is hard to watch and until now, the public has never viewed the video. Police officers have a very tough job and it’s a dangerous one. We doContinue reading “ABC News 7: Prince George’s County Officer Hits Suspect 8 Times in Head After Being Spat On”
Eric L. Piza, Ph.D. 