Cambridge Police to Participate in White House Police Data Initiatives

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Two news items of note from the Cambridge Police Department Thursday, according to a police press release.

First, the Cambridge Police Department said it's joining the White House-led Police Data and Data Driven Justice Initiatives. The Department is one of seven Massachusetts jurisdictions (along with Boston, Great Barrington, Lowell, Northampton, Pittsfield and Taunton) to join both initiatives, Cambridge Police said.

Through that initiative, the Department plans to expand public access to police data. Additionally, existing local initiatives will be enhanced, including the Cambridge Police Department's Focused Deterrence Program, Multi-Discipline Outreach and Mental Health Outreach, are among the initiatives that will be enhanced via the Data-Driven Justice Initiative. More information can be found here.

In addition, the Cambridge Police Department and its program partners will be presenting at this year's annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, in San Diego.

According to the police department, they will lead four sessions in the Leadership, Programs and Research, and Public Information Officer tracks. Session titles include “Arrest Less: Improving Community Relations Through a Juvenile-Based Police Response to Behavioral Health,” “Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) in Action: How CIT Facilitated the Safety of an Individual Involved in a Barricade Incident,” “How to Effectively Measure Your Social Media Efforts Without a Budget” and “5 PR Lessons Communities Can Learn from School Bomb Threats.”

Photo by andresmh, Flickr/Creative Commons