Brain Food
BRAIN FOOD
Statistics and community indicators are a starting point, only one component of the full story. The stories behind the numbers provide important context for our indicators, painting the more complex realities of society.
These discussion topics can help remind you of these larger narratives, shaping the way things are, the way things work, and the way things could be.
Consider this your BRAIN FOOD, nutrition for healthy thought!
Explore Topics
- Achievement Gap
- Arts and Culture
- Banking
- Belonging
- Bill Gates
- Catalyze
- Census
- Common Ground Health
- Communicate
- Community Vitality
- Connect
- Continuous Improvement
- Curate
- Data
- Demographics
- Early Childhood
- Education
- Environmental Justice & Sustainability
- Equity
- Gentrification
- Housing
- Impact
- Inclusion
- Inclusive Recovery
- K-12 Education
- Measurement
- Mental Health
- PDSA
- Poverty
- Public Safety
- Research Design
- Social Capital
- Transportation
- Upward Mobility
- Voter Participation
- Workforce
- Youth
- Zoning
Happy Halloween!
Wishing everyone a fun, safe, and delicious October 31st!
In addition to candy and costumes, Halloween often brings up public safety concerns for parents. Here are some resources toward a fun, safe night:
In an article from 2021, police offered guidance for parents including to not engage if you witness vandalism (instead, flash your lights and call 9-1-1), plan your trick-or-treating route in advance, and pay attention when crossing the street. Find the full article here.
For Halloween celebrators over 21, the University of Rochester Department of Public Safety posted tips for a safe Halloween here.
Speaking of public safety, on July 18, 2024 the Rochester Beacon posted an excellent, data-informed article about Rochester’s overall crime rate that is worth a read! Let’s call this one Brain Candy :-)
3 Excellent Short Reads on Public Safety
The issues of crime and public safety have been top-of-mind since before COVID, and then the circumstances of the pandemic made everything worse. So, communities across the country have been struggling with crime statistics, identifying trends, and attempting to intervene effectively.
Chicago and the University of Chicago Crime Lab have been center stage. The Crime Lab is nationally recognized for its applied research and is often seen as the gold standard for evidence-based intervention toward public safety.
On September 23rd, 2023, three articles came out that highlight the work of Chicago’s Crime Lab and provide high quality food for thought:
An article about the difference between data and personal experience, and what the experience gap tells us about the reality behind the numbers. I know that I have heard friends and colleagues talk about the confusion of data trends that show reduced crime while at the same time feeling less safe downtown than we can remember. This article provides approachable insight. Highly recommend!
An article about an approach to gun violence prevention that has been successful in high risk neighborhoods in Chicago
Commentary directly from staff at UChicago Crime Lab and insight into some of the work that the Crime Lab has done that shows promise and innovation, including the establishment of Strategic Decision Support Centers (SDSCs) for data-driven decision-making
Please consider reading all three articles, particularly as you engage in conversations about public safety in the city of Rochester. We need to learn from Chicago and see what we can customize for the Rochester context.
Brain food for evidence-based decision making around public safety!
Curated Report: The Children’s Agenda Rochester City Budget Highlights
Local advocacy organization The Children’s Agenda released a report highlighting the Rochester City’s Budget allocations, with a particular emphasis on how the budget affects children.
The report calls out policy efforts in the areas of poverty, support for the public library system, youth development and mental health, and youth violence prevention.
The report is very well-organized, providing readers a summary of budgeted items by category as well as commendations and recommendations. PLEASE READ!
The University of Chicago Crime Lab and RIT’s Center for Public Safety Initiatives
Public safety, incarceration, and the national gun violence crisis is top of mind, locally and across the US. The concern is clear, but the solutions are not. Enter: higher education-sponsored research and evaluation.
Prestigious universities are directing resources and human capital to learn more about how to increase safety in our communities. The University of Chicago’s Crime Lab is nationally renowned and oft-referenced for its work in this area, and we have a local center dedicated to public safety research at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
The Crime Lab at the University of Chicago’s stated mission is to design, test, and scale data-driven innovations to improve the public sector’s response to the dual challenges of America’s gun violence crisis and a criminal justice system that is not truly just. Their website is a valuable resource for research and findings based in Chicago, and the vision suggests that they plan to expand their work nationwide.
RIT’s College of Liberal Arts hosts a multi-disciplinary research center called the Center for Public Safety Initiatives that examines strategies to reduce crime and enhance the administration of justice. Services of the center include program evaluation, data analytics, and project management. Be sure to visit the website for research, staff and student information, and a story map collection that provides public-safety data for Monroe County.