Updating Law Enforcement Data in Mississippi

For several decades, Mississippi has lagged behind other states in collecting and reporting crime data.  Despite recent progress in this area, Mississippi still lacks both crime-related data and Publicly Available Information (PAI) about law enforcement and victim services agencies. This project’s purpose is to enhance crime-related data and access to those data in Mississippi. First, the project will merge existing databases to create a publicly available directory of over 400 law enforcement agencies in Mississippi.  In addition to traditional directory information (e.g., address, phone number), this directory will include social media sites and other agency information.  Second, the project will create a victim services directory for Mississippi that organizes victim services by county.  Currently, no such directory exists for Mississippi residents who have been victims of crime.  Both directories will be housed on websites maintained by Mississippi State University (MSU).  Next, the project will conduct a statewide telephone survey to better understand the prevalence and incidence of crime in Mississippi.  Using the Survey Research Lab at MSU, approximately 600 Mississippi adult residents will be interviewed about their perceptions and experiences with violent, property, and cyber-crime in Mississippi.  This project will then supplement these victimization data with PAI including surface web, dark web, social media, blogs, and news related data. Victimization survey data supplemented with PAI will provide a better understanding of the context of crime victimization and the likelihood of reporting crime by victims in Mississippi.  Finally, this project will work with several hospital emergency rooms to pilot a new model of crime data collection (the Cardiff model) that uses emergency room data to supplement police agency data. To accomplish this, we will create public safety research partnerships in several cities throughout the state where leaders from local hospitals and law enforcement agencies will meet regularly to share data about crime in their communities. This multi-pronged approach to improving crime data in Mississippi will improve both the quality and availability of crime data and public confidence in those data. Expected outcomes include both a publicly available law enforcement and victim services directory, a publicly available report on crime victimization in Mississippi, and public safety leadership councils that partner hospitals and law enforcement in several communities throughout the state. Beneficiaries of this project will include Mississippi residents, legislators, and law enforcement officers that protect the communities in which they live.