Browsing by Subject "Gun violence"
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Item Open Access Cooperation and Clearance: Victim Cooperation in Shooting Crimes(2017-05-04) Ho, JeffreyThis thesis examined the factors affecting police clearance rates and citizen cooperation in investigations, particularly as they related to shooting crimes in Durham, North Carolina. Existing literature suggests that victim demographics and crime circumstances are limiting factors in police investigations and may influence the noncooperation of victims and witnesses. The study further explored these relationships through the use of statistical regression analyses of predictive factors for police clearance and victim cooperation in an examination of investigative case data and a qualitative analysis of police interview data. A secondary goal of the analysis was to provide insight and recommendations for reducing noncooperation in police investigations. Based on an examination of administrative data from the Durham Police Department records of shooting crimes in 2015, a multivariate logistic regression revealed that crime circumstances were highly associated with crime clearance. In addition, respondents who were male, racial and ethnic minorities, or between the ages of 20 and 30 were more likely to be uncooperative in police investigations. An analysis of semi-structured interviews with the Durham police department investigators assigned to the cases helped provide potential explanations for the noncooperation, including the presence of a pervasive culture of fear and the general mistrust in the police. I consequently proposed potential recommendations for improving citizen cooperation, such as through the use of community policing, providing credible relocation services for victims, and expanding staffing and resource availability.Item Open Access ShotSpotter in Durham, NC: Service or Burden? A Community Sentiment Evaluation(2023-12) Kelly, PilarShotSpotter is a gunshot detection technology that uses audio sensors to locate and notify local police departments of gunfire. In 2023, the Durham Police Department (DPD) conducted a year-long pilot of ShotSpotter. Conversations with 30 residents of ShotSpotter’s three-square mile pilot area revealed nuanced opinions on the role of police officers, both generally and within their role as responders to ShotSpotter alerts. In the context of ShotSpotter specifically, conversations surrounded the ethics of technology and corporate actors in policing, as well as the lack of community engagement in the decision to pilot. Less frequently did these conversations reveal any observed impact on gun crime or police activity after ShotSpotter was implemented. Not one participant believed that ShotSpotter could help reduce gun crime. However, the participants who did report seeing changes in policing since ShotSpotter described those changes in a positive light. Opposition to ShotSpotter was rooted primarily in preconceived mistrust rather than direct experiences. This mistrust was directed toward City Council, ShotSpotter as a corporation, policing as an institution, and concerns about surveillance and storing personal sensitive information. City Council should consider the experiences and perceptions of the citizens most affected by gun violence when deciding how to proceed with ShotSpotter. Meaningful engagement and representation of these community voices is critical in efforts to promote institutional trust, community-police relations, and reductions in violent crime.