In November 2023, the National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS) and Carleton College hosted the Ingram Olkin Forum titled "Statistical Challenges in the Analysis of Police Use of Force." This forum was motivated by the urgent issue of excessive use of force by police and difficulties in effectively analyzing data on policing practices. In this panel, we will summarize four topics discussed at the Ingram Olkin Forum relating to police use of force data: causal inference, use of unstructured data, standardization of data, and spatial analysis. We will give an overview of these areas and facilitate engagement from statisticians that are new to this topic by providing discussion of future areas of research.

Panelists

Moderator

Bourgeois, J. W., Haensch, A., Kher, S., Knox, D., Lanzalotto, G., & Wong, T. A. (2024). How to Use Causal Inference to Study Use of Force. CHANCE, 37(4), 6–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/09332480.2024.2434435

Brault, E. E., Kelling, C., Bourgeois, J. W., Taheri, S. A., Jones, A., Charles, C., … Banks, D. (2024). Toward Standardization of Police Use of Force Data. CHANCE, 37(4), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/09332480.2024.2434438 

Kelling, C. (2024). Statisticians Address Analysis of Police Use of Force. CHANCE, 37(4), 4–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/09332480.2024.2434432

Kelling, C., Allen, C., Brault, E. E., & Matos, P. (2024). Issues in the Spatial Analysis of Police Use of Force Data. CHANCE, 37(4), 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/09332480.2024.2434436

Shah, T., Allen, C., Ibrahim, A., Kefalas, H., & Stevens, B. (2024). The Use of Unstructured Data to Study Police Use of Force. CHANCE, 37(4), 18–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/09332480.2024.2434437

About the Panelists

	Gregory Lanzalotto is a third year PhD student in the Operations, Information, and Decisions department. Prior to his graduate studies, he received a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Mathematical Economics with a minor in Statistics from the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna cum laude. He’s interested in developing methods in computational social science and applying them to issues of social justice such as policing. See Profile
	Dr. Elizabeth Brault is an Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Merrimack College. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from Louisiana State University and a B.A. in Sociology, Criminology, and Psychology from the University of Montana. Dr. Brault is a dedicated educator and quantitative researcher with a diverse interdisciplinary publication record and substantial applied research experience. Her scholarship emphasizes the significance of contextual factors affecting disadvantaged populations and the justice system. Her research interests encompass community and social resources, reentry and recidivism, hate crimes, juvenile lifers and reentry, justice reform, and law enforcement use of force. Her work has been featured in esteemed journals such as Crime & Delinquency, Deviant Behavior, and Social Science Research. Notably, she co-authored "Toward Standardization of Police Use of Force Data," published in Chance in December 2024. Beyond her research and teaching, Dr. Brault serves as the faculty advisor for Alpha Phi Sigma, the national criminal justice honor society at Merrimack College, promoting academic excellence and professional development among students. See Profile
	Dr. Cristian G. Allen serves as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Wartburg College, a role he has held since 2018. He earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in 2007 and his Master of Science (M.S.) in 2010, both from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Allen completed his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in 2017 at the University of North Texas. In his capacity at Wartburg College, Dr. Allen teaches various mathematics courses, including Foundational Integral Calculus and Statistical Methods. His academic interests and research focus on areas within mathematics, contributing to the department's mission to provide a comprehensive and engaging mathematical education. Dr. Allen is part of the Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics Department at Wartburg College, collaborating with colleagues to enhance the educational experience for students in these disciplines. See Profile
	Dr. Jennifer Wyatt Bourgeois is a Center for Justice Research Postdoctoral Fellow. Her research interests include risk and resilient factors associated with children and youth impacted by family and/or parental incarceration, the intersection of race, class, and gender within the criminal justice system, criminal justice program evaluation, and the intersection of criminal justice and forensic science. She has previously assisted with the examination of predictive equity among risk assessment instruments. Jennifer has been published in the Journal of Black Studies, Lone Star Forensic’s, and Drug Science, Policy, & Law. Additionally, she has co- authored two nationally recognized reports in the areas of pretrial diversion and prosecutor caseloads. Jennifer holds a B.S. in Forensic Science from Baylor University, a M.S. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University, and her PhD in Justice Administration from Texas Southern University. See Profile

About the Moderator

Dr. Claire Kelling is an Assistant Professor of Statistics in the Mathematics and Statistics department at Carleton College, a position she has held since 2022. She earned dual Ph.D. degrees in Statistics and Social Data Analytics from The Pennsylvania State University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies from Virginia Tech. Dr. Kelling's research lies at the intersection of criminology, public health, public policy, spatial statistics, and computing. She has extensive experience applying statistical methods to research problems that promote social good. In her second year, she was a National Science Foundation (NSF) Big Data Social Science IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship) Fellow, during which she analyzed and developed new spatio-temporal models of crime while incorporating social proximity through a network-based approach to neighborhoods. This fellowship facilitated collaborations with experts across multiple disciplines, including statistics, political science, sociology, geography, and computer science. At Carleton, Dr. Kelling teaches various courses, including Introduction to Data Science, Applied Regression Analysis, and Introduction to Statistics. She is committed to involving students in research and welcomes inquiries from those interested in her lab, regardless of experience level. See Profile

About the Statistics Serving Society ( S³ ) Ingram Olkin Forum Series

The National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS) presents Statistics Serving Society ( S3 ), a series of forums to honor the memory of Professor Ingram Olkin. These forums at NISS provide a platform for statisticians to discuss and address pressing societal issues through statistical insights and solutions.

• Reducing Maternal Mortality Rates Across the USA
• The Opioid Crisis
• Gun Violence - The Statistical Issues
• Police Use of Force
• Statistical Methods for Combatting Human Trafficking
• Advancing Demographic Equity with Privacy Preserving Methodologies
• COVID and the Schools: Modeling Openings, Closings, and Learning Loss
• Algorithmic Fairness and Social Justice
• Unplanned Clinical Trial Disruptions