What is SToPA?
The Small Town Policing Accountability Lab is developing a toolkit for procuring, structuring, and analyzing policing data in small towns that lack the resources and systems to make their own data public. The lab already serves two towns, Williamstown MA and Durham NC, and is working to expand accountability in small towns across the United States. Join the lab to help bring visibility and accountability to policing in all of our communities.
BREAKING: The focus of this year’s Datathon4Justice will be on polishing up our Small Town Police Analysis Toolkit. If you are interested in doing work in police accountability and analysis register now!
How Can I Join?
The SToPA Lab meets bi-weekly. If you want to join the SToPA Lab fill out this form and one of our directors will contact you shortly!
Meet our Team!
SToPA Director, Manuchehr Aminian.
Dr. Manuchehr Aminian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Manuchehr’s research interests include early detection of viral infection with machine learning, spectral image segmentation, and passive tracer problems. Manuchehr currently serves as the co-director for QSIDE’s SToPA (Small Town Policing Accountability) Research Lab.
SToPA Director, Ariana Mendible.
Dr. Ariana Mendible is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Seattle University. Her experience in data-driven modeling led her to research that applies data science to social justice contexts. Ariana currently serves as a co-director for QSIDE’s SToPA (Small Town Policing Accountability) Research Lab.
SToPA Director, Claire Kelling.
Dr. Claire Kelling (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Statistics at Carleton College, and earned her Dual PhD in Statistics and Social Data Analytics from Penn State. Claire’s goal is to integrate evidence-based practice and policy on crime and policing using the power of statistics and data. Claire currently serves as a co-director for QSIDE’s SToPA (Small Town Policing Accountability) Research Lab.
SToPA Senior Researcher, Spencer Brooks.
Spencer Brooks is a researcher and educator with interests in natural language processing, human-centered computing, and education as a practice of freedom. He holds a B.A. in mathematics from Williams College. A member of the QSIDE SToPA Lab since 2021, he has created visualizations and analysis tools and explored topic modeling approaches for representing latent structure in police records.
SToPA Senior Researcher, Alex Wiedemann.
Alex Wiedemann (he/him) completed his PhD in mathematics at the University of South Carolina and is now a Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Randolph-Macon College. His main areas of interest are graph theory, operator theory, linear algebra, and mathematical physics, with recent projects involving spectral theory, discrete mathematics, and data-driven applications thereof. Apart from theoretical research, Alex is interested in promoting equity and justice in mathematics and in the development of teaching practices which better serve students from underserved groups. He currently serves as Chair of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility for Spectra, the Association for LGBTQ+ Mathematicians, and has been a member of QSIDE’s Small Town Policing Accountability (SToPA) Lab since 2021.
SToPA Director Emeritus, Anna Haensch.
Dr. Anna Haensch is a Senior Data Scientist in the Tufts University Data Intensive Studies Center with a secondary appointment (Associate Professor) in the Department of Mathematics. Dr. Haensch has a Ph.D. in mathematics from Wesleyan University. Dr. Haensch’s research are in computational number theory, specifically in using modern computational tools and capabilities to answer longstanding, previously intractable, open problems. When not exploring ways data science can be used as tools to make a safer and more equitable world, Haensch can be found making art.