Jane Research Fellowship Supports Crime Data Research with Powerful Impact for Rochester Region

Research underway now by RIT criminal justice student Hayder Alhafedhi aims to give Rochester law enforcement and policy makers an effective and objective tool to better address these questions and more. 

As a research assistant and master’s degree student, Alhafedhi is partnering with the Rochester Police Department to analyze Rochester crime data and develop a Crime Harm Index (CHI), a method for measuring the seriousness of crimes by assigning a numerical weight based on their harm. CHIs can be used to identify crime trends and severity and help law enforcement agencies better allocate resources. 

“The Crime Harm Index was originally developed in the UK and used as a starting point of guidelines for determining sentencing,” said Alhafedhi, explaining that the Crime Harm Index Score is calculated by multiplying raw crime counts by the harm value. “I decided to follow the same guidelines used in the UK by using the starting point of days spent in jail as my harm value.”

A Crime Harm Index developed using real Rochester crime data could become a valuable tool for regional law enforcement and policymakers. “[This research] involves a significant amount of up-front work,” said Adrian Martin, a data analyst for Rochester Police Department. “But, that will pay off with new ways of looking at public safety resource needs and distribution in Rochester.”

Looking at the data, Alhafedhi was surprised to find that property crimes have more harm than violent crimes. “Due to the sheer high frequency of these property crimes and high harm value, the Crime Harm Index Score of property crime was higher than the crime harm index score of violence crimes,” he said.  “Many of these non violent property crimes had a high starting point of days spent in jail. In the UK, the starting point of these property crimes was much lower compared to New York. These findings prompt us to think critically about how we in the U.S. respond to crime, our sentencing guidelines, and the effectiveness of our policies.”

Impactful research like Alhafedhi’s is a cornerstone of the RIT criminal justice department, with collaborative projects and initiatives managed by the RIT Center of Public Safety Initiatives (CPSI). Additionally, the CPSI administers the Monroe Crime Analysis Center and the North Country Crime Analysis Center as part of an agreement with the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Alhafedhi’s research is funded by a Jane Research Fellowship in Criminal Justice, an award in honor of Jane Duda provided by the Duda Family Foundation. The fellowships are one-year positions that allow students to engage in self-directed research in an area of special interest to them. 

While Alhafedhi’s research focuses on crime harm indices, past fellowship award recipients have researched areas such as community violence as a public health model, community-based violence interruption strategies, gun violence, and homicide response teams. Their research work is published and shared widely with criminal justice agencies and organizations to advance knowledge and practices in the industry.

The ability to focus on interest areas makes the Jane Research Fellowship in Criminal Justice a unique and coveted opportunity for student researchers.

“It's challenging and very exciting at the same time,” said Alhafedhi. “Collaborating with the community, having access to resources, amazing professors and fellow students who work together, and working alongside an expert data analyst at RPD has been great. After I graduate, I do want to do something that is related to crime prevention, possibly with a crime analysis center and using GIS technology.” 

The Duda Family Foundation has a long history of supporting exceptional criminal justice graduate students at RIT, support that ultimately benefits both RIT students and the Rochester region. Established by alumni Jane (Information Technology ‘03) and Zeke (Business Administration ’73) Duda, the Foundation has also supported construction of RIT’s Gene Polisseni Center and Tiger Stadium (underway now) as well as other RIT initiatives. 

“We strongly believe in equitable justice and informed policing,” said Janelle Duda, director of the foundation. “RIT’s nationally known criminal justice department is a perfect vehicle for the next generation to explore and analyze data in new ways that can lead to safer communities. We are proud to support and encourage creative thinking and innovative solutions.”  

Through rigorous research, analysis, and testing of ideas and fresh approaches, innovative changes can have a profound impact on communities, public safety, public policy, and the lives of society’s most marginalized citizens. The RIT Center for Public Safety Initiatives remains focused and committed to continued advancement.

“​​The Jane Research Fellowship in Criminal Justice provides an opportunity for our students to work closely with community partners while engaging in impactful research. Through this generous award, our students participate in a unique and transformative experience, while also contributing to the broader community,” said Irshad Irshad Altheimer, Ph.D., Ellen M. Granberg Endowed Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and director of RIT’s Center for Public Safety Initiatives.

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