NEW ORLEANS — NOPD's Director of Analytics Benjamin Horwitz was recently awarded the Bureau of Governmental Research Excellence In Government 2018: Innovation Award for his fresh and creative approach to data management and crime analysis following the federal consent decree.
Horwitz joined the NOPD in 2014 as a compliance manager, chosen to help assist with implementing police reforms. In January 2016, the NOPD decided to create an Analytics Unit under the Field Operations Bureau where Horwitz became the director of analytics.
In this role, Horwitz received training and guidance from the community of practice around the country to build up the department and is tasked with conducting management and crime analytics.
Over the course of that year, Horwitz initiated NOPD’s Management Analytics for Excellence (MAX) which was also created in collaboration with NOPD commanders and supervisors, subject-matter experts across the city and national leaders of data-driven change management systems as a holistic, data-driven approach to police management.
Horwitz’s input in MAX was developed by focusing not only on crime, but all aspects of a commander’s responsibilities. These include ensuring that their officers meet training requirements, upholding policies on such things as probable cause for searches and that reports are reviewed and corrected, if needed, in a timely manner.
Weekly MAX meetings now enable NOPD senior leaders to take a deep dive into the systemic issues of crime, management, community policing and risk management to develop solutions aimed at the root of the issue with the involvement of supervisors who have the responsibility to create and sustain that change.
