Abstract
Front line police officers spend a substantial amount of their time reactively responding to 911 calls. While the vast majority of calls for service (CFS) are unrelated to serious emergencies or crimes in progress, police are often the de facto responders, making responding to emergency communications a critical aspect of the day-to-day responsibilities officers are tasked with. Given that the majority of 911 calls are unrelated to crimes in progress, officers need a wide range of resources to respond effectively to different community needs, including clearly communicated and detailed upfront information, training to respond to emergency situations involving mental health and substance use issues, as well as training on available alternatives to traditional enforcement approaches. Additionally, 911 calls often require the translation of information from initial 911 call-takers to law enforcement dispatch to the officers who respond to the scene. Yet, there is a notable absence of evidence-informed strategies for processing and responding to 911 calls, and this void in the field has likely contributed to overuse of police resources, officer frustration with misdirected service calls, and harm to those who unnecessarily come into contact with law enforcement. During this discussion, Dr. Neusteter will present the case for investing in data science and advanced analytics to improve policing through innovations to 911 call-taking, dispatching, and response.

Bio
Rebecca Neusteter is an experienced researcher and practitioner in the field of criminal justice. Rebecca has worked with numerous units of local and state government, assisting jurisdictions in understanding their criminal justice populations and implementing measures to enhance public safety and increase efficiency. She currently serves as the Vera Institute of Justice’s director of policing. Previously Rebecca served as director of research, policy, and planning for the New York Police Department. Prior to joining the NYPD, Rebecca served as director of criminal justice for the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. She has also held a variety of positions, including research associate for the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center, director of Criminal Justice Programs for The Doe Fund, senior analyst for the New York City Office of Management and Budget, and deputy director of Planning for the Center for Employment Opportunities. Rebecca holds a PhD in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of the Graduate Center, City University of New York, an MS in urban policy analysis and management from the Milano Graduate School of the New School University, and a BA in sociology from Chapman University.