CPSO launches data-driven domestic violence prevention initiative

SHREVEPORT, La. -- The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office is launching a new initiative that officials say is designed to help prevent domestic violence by identifying risk factors before crimes happen.

The sheriff's office has partnered with public safety technology company Simsi to use a system that analyzes data to identify places and conditions associated with a higher risk of violence. The program is intended to improve coordination among law enforcement, government agencies and community organizations so they can focus prevention efforts where they may have the greatest impact.

Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. said the approach is intended to strengthen the parish's response to domestic violence by emphasizing prevention rather than reaction.

"Protecting victims of domestic violence requires proactive collaboration," Whitehorn said. "This partnership helps us understand risk environments better and strengthens our community collaborations for public safety improvements."

According to the sheriff's office, the technology is built around Simsi's Data-Informed Community Engagement, or DICE, framework. The system uses Risk Terrain Modeling, a research-based method developed at Rutgers University, to analyze environmental factors that may contribute to crime and victimization.

Rather than focusing only on past incidents, the framework is designed to help agencies recognize patterns that could signal an increased risk of violence, allowing them to direct resources and prevention efforts before crimes occur.

The sheriff's office said the platform also includes tools that allow participating agencies to share information, coordinate projects and track prevention strategies.

"Communities need practical solutions for complex issues like domestic violence," Joel Caplan, Ph.D., of Simsi said. "Our DICE framework allows the Sheriff's Office to analyze risk contexts and work together with community partners to implement targeted prevention strategies."

The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office said it joins other law enforcement agencies around the country that are using research-based technology to support crime prevention and improve community safety.