David Leitson
Senior Policy Analyst
Expertise
David Leitson is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Crime Lab, where he has spent the last several years using data analytics to enable government agencies and violence prevention organizations to make informed decisions that improve public safety and reduce the harms of the criminal justice system. David played a key role in developing the Violence Reduction Dashboard, as well as several projects intended to improve management of police resources in Chicago and Miami. Additionally, he works with the Crime Lab’s Public Affairs team, providing quick turnaround analysis for media outlets, key stakeholders, and members of the public. Before joining the Crime Lab, David worked as a research analyst at the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center.
Webinar: Overview of the City of Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard
Launched in May 2021 by the City of Chicago, with design and technical support from the Crime Lab, the Dashboard is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive tool that allows unfettered public access to city violence trends categorizable by victim type, date, and geographic area.
Workforce Allocation Analysis
The Workforce Allocation (WFA) Analysis examined where personnel resources at the Chicago Police Department are allocated to improve efficiency, equity, and transparency in patrol staffing.
Violence Reduction Dashboard
The Violence Reduction Dashboard (VRD) is a publicly available visualization and analysis tool that provides greater transparency and accessibility to near-real-time violent crime data in the city of Chicago.
