Nov 2022

PyData NYC 2022: Customizable probabilistic record linkage with Name Match

Melissa McNeill

Linking individuals across records or datasets is often a critical prerequisite for building useful data tools and answering interesting research or business questions. But doing it right is difficult and time-consuming, in part because current off-the-shelf tools do not provide a measure of linking accuracy and are too rigid to incorporate the user’s domain knowledge. In this talk, we’ll 1) define high-quality record linkage and discuss why it matters, 2) show how record linkage can be boiled down to a simple prediction problem, and 3) introduce Name Match, a new open source tool for customizable probabilistic record linkage.

Latest Updates

Former NYPD Chief of Department Kenneth E. Corey Named Executive Director of the Policing Leadership Academy
Press Release
UChicago Crime Lab
Jan 2026

Former NYPD Chief of Department Kenneth E. Corey Named Executive Director of the Policing Leadership Academy

CHICAGO, IL — The University of Chicago Crime Lab today announced that Kenneth E. Corey has been appointed Executive Director of its Policing Leadership Academy (PLA), a first-of-its-kind executive education program designed to help police leaders reduce gun violence and build trust in the communities they serve.

Homicide rate declines sharply in dozens of US cities, a new report shows
Media Mention
Jan 2026

Homicide rate declines sharply in dozens of US cities, a new report shows

The AP’s Claudia Lauer speaks with Crime Lab faculty director Jens Ludwig about the declining homicide rate in cities across the United States.

What it will take to fix American policing
Podcast
The Washington Post
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What it will take to fix American policing

Host Megan McArdle speaks with former New York City police commissioner William Bratton and former NYPD chief and new Policing Leadership Academy executive director Kenneth E. Corey about their work at the Academy and the program’s goals to reduce violence and improve fairness in policing.