iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Shout out to the great team that made this so successful, including Brittany Cunningham, Chip Coldren, Bryce Peterson, Jennifer Lafferty, Keri Richardson from CNA Corporation, with support from Mike White and Danielle S. Rudes.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

The NIJ final report on the study: ojp.gov/pdffiles1/ni... There are also these magazine articles: American Jails Magazine: americanjailassociation.foleon.com/american-jai... Corrections Today: user-3imepyw.cld.bz/Corrections-...

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

A study on how officer perspectives changed during the study: tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1... A CNA brief on the differences in evidence collection across the body-worn cameras and stational cameras: cna.org/reports/2023...

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

The awarded study on the cameras’ impact on responses to resistance: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... A study on the cameras’ impact on resident injuries during responses to resistance: sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Very excited for the team to win ASC's Division of Experimental Criminology's Outstanding Experimental Field Trial award. This work is from our study that conducted the first randomized controlled trial of body-worn cameras in a correctional facility. Full list of pubs in thread:

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Decided to update my publications on my website by topical area. They include: Body-worn cameras Diversion Programs Gunshot Detection Technology Improving Interactions Intelligence Centers Officer Wellness Agency Assessment Prosecution Surveillance Check them out here: daniel-s-lawrence.com

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Reposted by Daniel S Lawrence

Kirk Luther @kirkluther.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

#APB Spotlight Day 12! When do officers actually activate body-worn cameras (BWCs)? Research by Ashlin Oglesby-Neal, Bryce Peterson, & @danslawrence.bsky.social explores 1 million+ officer-event records from Milwaukee PD, and finds big variations. 🧵👇(1/4)

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Reposted by Daniel S Lawrence

Kirk Luther @kirkluther.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

#APB Spotlight Day 10! Law enforcement suicide is a national crisis. Research by @danslawrence.bsky.social, Jessica Dockstader, & @kepadil.bsky.social breaks down 977 officer deaths by suicide in the U.S. (2016–2022) and shows where, and among whom, the risk is highest. 🧵(1/4)

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Reposted by Daniel S Lawrence

Dr. Kathleen E. Padilla @kepadil.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Having my research be included in a report like PERF about a topic I've devoted my career to is an absolute dream. Thank you Police Executive Research Forum for sharing the work done by @danslawrence.bsky.social Jessica Dockstader, CWP and I! www.policeforum.org/trending29ma...

policeforum.org

New PERF report on mental health treatment centers for police

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Or download the preprint here: assets.pubpub.org/kpmwqxtp/Pet...

assets.pubpub.org

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

I’ll leave it at that, but the clear lack of rigorous research on all four types of LEICs is concerning. As these centers are increasingly adopted by law enforcement agencies nationwide, the absence of high-quality studies leaves a significant gap in understanding their effectiveness and impact.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

We found the research to show that CGIC, RTCCs, and CICs can improve criminal investigations of various types of violent crime, as measured by increased clearance rates. CICs may also prevent crime, though this effect was not consistently observed for RTCCs and CGICs.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Furthermore, the majority of studies (56%) focused on fusion centers, which also tended to be descriptive in nature and based on stakeholder perceptions. On the other hand, most studies of the other three LEICs examined their direct impact on relevant outcomes.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

A main takeaway: Studies of LEICs were generally limited in methodological rigor. Only 4 of the 34 studies received a Maryland Scientific Methods Scale score of 3, which is considered the lowest possible score for determining causality of an intervention.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

I won’t bore you with the details, but the study conducted a scoping review of the literature, identifying 41 publications across 34 different studies that focused on one of the four types of LEICs.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

The article goes into more detail on these definitions, but we hope these definitions can offer clear distinctions of law enforcement intelligence centers for the field moving forward.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

First, CIC personnel gather and share intelligence on crimes within smaller areas, like precincts or districts, rather than citywide. Second, CICs produce actionable, localized info for district command staff to guide directed patrols and other proactive policing efforts.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Real-time crime centers (RTCC), which provide real-time information to officers responding to crime incidents and offer retroactive investigative support; and crime information centers (CIC), the newest LEIC, which share some similarities with RTCCs but are distinct in 2 ways:

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

We identified four types of LEICs, which are all used by law enforcement agencies across the country. They include fusion centers, which focus on counter terrorism efforts; crime gun intelligence centers (CGICs), which focus on firearm investigations and forensics; …

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

I’m particularly excited for this one, as I feel it’ll help move the field in the right direction. Our NEW study defines and reviews the literature associated with law enforcement intelligence centers (LEICs). The main takeaway: These centers need to be studied more!

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

And here is the link to the preprint: assets.pubpub.org/upktuq6s/Law...

assets.pubpub.org

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

The article goes into much more detail. Special shoutout the other authors on this, @kepadil.bsky.social and Jessica Dockstader. Here is the link to the version of record: rdcu.be/ecczM

rdcu.be

Bearing the Badge, Battling Inner Struggles: Understanding Suicidal Ideation in Law Enforcement

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Finally, PTSD increases suicide risk, but good mental health helps mitigate it. Those with better psychological wellbeing face less severe suicidal ideation, highlighting the need for strong mental health support in policing, which can lessen suicide risk even for those with PTSD.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Our law enforcement sample showed PTSD rates over twice that of the general population (18% vs. 8.5%). PTSD in officers is linked to poor mental and physical health, cardiovascular issues, sleep disorders, and harmful behaviors like violence, anger, depression, and substance misuse.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

And a total of 3.1% advised having a past suicide attempt, which is well above the national average among adults 18 or older, which was estimated at 0.6% in 2023. Given the likelihood that these admissions are conservative, underreported estimates, they should be taken seriously.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

What can we take from these results? First and foremost, while approximately 75% of respondents reported never having had suicidal ideation, 25% reported having contemplated, planned, or attempted suicide in the past.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

We then conducted a mediation regression analysis to further investigate the relationships between mental health, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. Results indicate partial mediation, where PTSD leads to lower mental health, which, in turn, results in more severe suicidal ideation.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

But only agency size remained a significant factor once the psychological metrics were added. And the leading aspects predicting suicidal ideation were, perhaps not surprisingly, poor mental health and being positive for post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Apologies for the big regression table but I wanted to show the full model that sequentially adds domains. Prior to including the psychological metrics, sex, relationship status, agency size, alcohol consumption, and physical health were all factors predicting suicidal ideation.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

This study examined survey data among 883 police staff across 8 agencies. We analyzed how demographic and position characteristics, physical wellbeing, and psychological health predict ideation. Then we explored the relationships between mental health, PTSD, and suicidal ideation.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

NEW study examining suicidal ideation among law enforcement officers. The big (not surprising) takeaway: improving mental health and responses to PTSD are critical aspects to preventing suicide among this population. More details in thread and links at the end.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Just hit a milestone: over 1,000 citations of my research! It's humbling to know that my work is contributing to meaningful conversations in the criminal justice field. Grateful for every collaborator, reviewer, and reader. Check out daniel-s-lawrence.com for more info about me.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

The article goes into much more detail. Special shoutout the other authors on this, Jessica Dockstader and @kepadil.bsky.social. Below is the link to the version of record. I’ll link to the preprint when available. Version of record: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

tandfonline.com

Unveiling the silent battle: suicide rates among law enforcement personnel

Accurately calculating suicide rates among law enforcement officers has been a longstanding challenge. Since 2016, the nonprofit organization First H.E.L.P. has implemented a standardized and rigor...

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

But we hope this study offers more accurate insights into a difficult-to-study issue. First H.E.L.P. is really leading the field in collecting reliable data on deaths by suicides among first responders.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Each law enforcement officer suicide is a deeply personal tragedy, shaped by a complex mix of personal, professional, and psychological factors. From the stress of high-stakes decisions and trauma exposure to personal struggles, the unique interplay of these elements defies simple explanation.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

The Mountain division in the West region and the New England division in the Northeast had the highest rates, at 29.3 and 34.6 deaths per 100,000, respectively. We go into detail on some of the reason we’re observing these geographical differences.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

By region, the South had the highest number of deaths by suicide but also has the largest population of law enforcement officers, resulting in the lowest average suicide rate, at 19.4. The West region had a similar rate, while both the Northeast and Midwest were more elevated.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Between 2016 and 2022, male personnel had higher suicide rates (20.4–28.5, avg. 22.7) than females, who averaged 12.7—roughly half. Despite males outnumbering females roughly by 7:1 among sworn staff, the disparity in suicide rates highlights significant gender differences in outcomes.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Our analysis estimates a police suicide rate ranging between 19.0 and 27.5, with an average rate of approximately 21.4 over the seven years studied. The average number of suicides per year during this period was 151.3, with a low of 128 in 2017 and a high of 196 in 2019.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

While going through these rates, keep in mind that the national suicide rate for the general population of 10 years and older is 14.0 in 2021. (Although that’s not a great comparison, considering officers are typically 21 and older.)

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Using data from First H.E.L.P., the following examines 977 suicides of law enforcement personnel that occurred between 2016 and 2022, specifically by calculating rates of suicides by year, sex, and geographic regions and divisions.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

We previously published a report that examined descriptive statistics associated with these data (www.cna.org/reports/2024...). This new article examines rates, which are more insightful because it allows for meaningful comparisons across different contexts.

cna.org

Law Enforcement Deaths by Suicide

The first analysis of a database of 1,287 suicide deaths of police and correctional officers examines age, location, job, life challenges, and other factors.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

NEW study examining suicide rates among sworn law enforcement officers from 2016 to 2022, disaggregated by year, sex, and geographic region and division. Links to article at end.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

You can find out more about the work that I do examining police and criminal justice agency programs and technology on my website: www.daniel-s-lawrence.com

daniel-s-lawrence.com

Daniel S. Lawrence, PhD | Criminologist

Work and contact to police research scholar Daniel S. Lawrence, PhD

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

Much thanks to the many colleagues who worked on these publications with me, including Bryce Peterson, Brittany C. Cunningham, Chip Coldren, Jessica Dockstader, Ken Novak, Mike White, and Ashlin Oglesby-Neal.

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

Article in Policing examining how various officer and event-level factors influence police officers’ decision to activate their body-worn cameras: assets.pubpub.org/b5h2qxu0/Ogl...

assets.pubpub.org

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

Article in Police Practice and Research examining the impact that gunshot detection technology had on officer workload and response times to firearm shooting notifications in three cities: assets.pubpub.org/tfp5whsb/Law...

assets.pubpub.org

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Daniel S Lawrence @danslawrence.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

Article in Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology examining profiles of mental and physical health, and how different profiles of staff participate in agency-provided wellness programs: assets.pubpub.org/fr2vn54d/Law...

assets.pubpub.org

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