Experimentation in Criminal Justice Agencies: Timing is Everything

In this brief essay, I reflect upon the issue of timing as it directly affected my ability to conduct evaluations of hot spots policing initiatives in two police departments led by the same executive – Edward F. Davis III. Much to my good fortune, I formed a collaborative relationship with Ed Davis when he was the Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department (Massachusetts) in 1997. Over the next six years, I worked with the LPD on a series of problem analyses and quasi-experimental evaluations to guide their gang violence reduction efforts.