Bridging Academia and Practice for Data-Driven Policing

Loren Atherley is the Senior Director of Performance Analytics & Research and the Senior Research Scientist for the Seattle Police Department. He emphasizes the importance of taking an incremental, gradual approach to implementing evidence-based policing. He focuses on building data curiosity and buy-in within the department by providing useful analytical products and dashboards. He advocates for hiring "pracademics" - academics with applied experience - to help bridge the gap between research and practice in policing. This allows departments to leverage rigorous methodology while still understanding the practical realities. However, Dr. Atherley also acknowledges the need for caution when applying advanced analytics and machine learning to policing.