The Data Dilemma:

Abstract

In 2015, in response to a rising problem of gun violence in the City of Wilmington, Delaware, and due to the urging of local public officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a groundbreaking study around the public health crisis and issued three recommendations on opportunities for prevention. The ideal solutions centered on the creation of a predictive analytic tool that would help social service providers determine who is most likely, based on a set of weighted risk factors, to engage in gun violence. As various entities started to lay the foundation for implementing the CDC’s recommendations, they faced several hurdles directly related to this new technological solution. After careful consideration and thorough vetting, which was also recommended by the CDC, led by Governor Carney’s Family Services Cabinet Council (FSCC), Delaware concluded two things: a tool of this nature presents ethical issues, and there are evidence-based strategies to identify those engaging or likely to engage in gun violence; and notwithstanding the ethical concerns surrounding the tool, Delaware lacked the technology infrastructure and staffing to develop such a tool. Ultimately, good collaboration (facilitated by Social Contract, a local consulting firm) through the FSCC fostered an alternate path forward in keeping with the spirit of the CDC’s recommendations; while the CDC’s recommendations were not precisely enacted, their contribution has led to investments and capacity building in Delaware to support individuals and families most proximal to the problem. Ultimately, convening stakeholders to fully examine an issue and ideate solutions with the most potential for impact resulted in two meaningful outcomes: (1) an innovative approach to ultimately reduce gun violence in the City of Wilmington through widespread collaboration of state services, developing meaningful relationships with those directly engaged in gun violence; and (2) the creation of a statewide data-sharing system that will help improve service delivery and outcomes for Delawareans in need.