SAS and Durham PD partner to improve police transparency and outcomes

Analytics leader SAS will deploy officer readiness technology to provide insight into department performance

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Jan 27, 2021, 09:45 ET

CARY, N.C., Jan. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Durham (NC) Police Department (DPD) will use law enforcement technology from SAS to support transparency and improve policing outcomes, public safety and community relations. SAS^®for Officer Readiness will help DPD gain public trust and create a more high-performing police department.

"We are focused on increasing trust and transparency, but also on identifying the traits and experiences that create exemplary officers and leaders," said DPD Police Chief CJ Davis.

Officer readiness technology can help build public trust and improve departmental performance.

Conducted through the SAS Data for Good program, the project will combine arrest, dispatch, complaint, training and other types of data and present insights via dashboards.

SAS for Officer Readiness captures the trainings, actions, citizen feedback, commendations and other performance and behavioral indicators that demonstrate excellent job performance. It also reveals patterns of negative behavior and potential bias, providing department leaders the opportunity to proactively intervene to prevent adverse incidents.

"By integrating and analyzing our data in new ways, we will gain a deeper understanding of how our department and our community can grow and thrive together," said Davis.

Chief Davis will discuss the city's collaboration with SAS at the virtual SAS Public Safety Forum, Feb. 2-3. Register now to join law enforcement representatives and analytics experts as they explore the future of policing.

Modern policing goes way beyond arrests and citations

Officers often find themselves at the intersection of public health and public safety, dealing with homelessness, people in mental health crisis or those suffering from addiction. Police are expected to serve as social workers, crisis counselors, truancy officers or EMTs.

Officers need to be able to assist vulnerable people and de-escalate a variety of situations. SAS uses a holistic approach that incorporates results from training and incident disposition, then feeds this data into models to show a complete view of officer readiness, wellness and risk. Police interaction trends – along with relevant data, decisions and action – are easy to share publicly.

"The changing nature of policing, combined with increased demands for transparency, call for a more sophisticated form of law enforcement technology," said Major Juan Colon, National Director for Opioids and Illegal Drugs Solutions at SAS and formerly of the New Jersey State Police. "Durham Police Department is establishing itself as a leader in strengthening public trust while giving officers and supervisors what they need to grow professionally to better serve citizens."

In addition to officer readiness, SAS offerings for public safety and criminal justice enable smarter investigations and increase officer safety and situational awareness. SAS helps investigators gather and manage intelligence, conduct complex investigations, and improve processes and workflows.

SAS also recently collaborated on a Data for Good research project with DPD, North Carolina Central University and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice to explore misdemeanor offenders' paths through the criminal justice system to reduce and better understand the causes of recidivism.

SAS is part of the Data for Good movement, which encourages using data in meaningful ways to solve humanitarian issues around poverty, health, human rights, education and the environment. From preventing life-threatening illnesses to protecting endangered species to rebuilding after natural disasters, organizations across the globe are harnessing data to make a difference. Learn more about the company's Data for Good efforts here at: sas.com/en_us/data-for-good.html

About SAS

SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW^®.

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SOURCE SAS