Current Research Projects

Title: Evaluation of the OSHP Vehicle Integration Technology Demonstration

PI: Dr. Lawrence Travis and Dr. Robin Engel

Agency: Ohio State Highway Patrol

Description: The purpose of the evaluation is to compare the new equipment and vehicle cockpit configuration with the traditional patrol vehicle in OSHP vehicles. The evaluation examines issues related to installation, officer efficiency, officer safety, and provide an overall cost/benefit analysis regarding the use of this technology.

Title: Neighborhood Safety Working Group Research Analyst

PI: Dr. James Frank

Agency: City of Columbus

Description: This ongoing project assesses officer efforts to disrupt drug sales and use, gang related violence, and violent gun crimes in a targeted “model zone” neighborhood. Work on the project has included analyses involving calls for service, reported crime data and arrest data. These data have been used to develop maps depicting violent crime, gun crime and gang-related “hot spots”. Preliminary findings from these analyses have been presented to Columbus Police Division command staff personnel and select city officials.

Title: Project on Police-Citizen Contacts

PI: Dr. Robin Engel

Agency: Pennsylvania State Police

Description: The Project on Police-Citizen Contacts collects data on all trooper initiated contacts with motorists in the state of Pennsylvania, which allows an analysis of patterns and trends of traffic stops.

Title: Search & Seizure Best Practices

PI: Dr. Robin Engel

Agency: Ohio State Highway Patrol

Description: The Best Practices in Search and Seizure project is an analysis of Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper tactics, methods and issues in drug interdiction practices. This project seeks to determine the most efficient and effective methods related to search and seizure practices and to disseminate this information to inform and improve search and seizure practices.

Title: Uptown Consortium Technical Assistance

PI: Dr. John Eck

Agency: Uptown Consortium

Description: The aim of this project is to transform Uptown Cincinnati into a safe and attractive place to work and live through a public safety initiative. Specifically, a problem-oriented approach in being applied, which includes providing ongoing analyses of crime problems and hot spots, recommending the most effective responses for these locations, and assessing the effectiveness of each response in terms of crime reduction.