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What Can Donuts Tell Us About Police Body Cam Data?

Topology is the study of how a surface is connected. For instance, think of a donut versus a donut hole. From a topologist’s perspective, although the two are both donuts, their surfaces are very different. The donut has a big hole in the middle and is shaped like a handle, while the latter has no holes and is shaped like a golf ball. Complex data can also have different shapes and sizes in space, and topologists are interested in studying the structure of these surfaces to reveal useful insights and relationships.

My thesis aims to use topology to study which factors impact the outcomes of police-community interactions. I begin by collecting annotated body-worn camera footage and using topology to analyze its structure. I then use this analysis to answer insightful questions, such as, “which factors in these social encounters impact the amount of times force is applied by an officer to a suspect?”. With the results and insights I gain from my work, I plan to inform police education programs about potential modifications they can make to their curriculum to foster improvements.

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