Collaboration between Antigonish County District RCMP and St. Francis Xavier University`s psychology department resulted in a number of research projects with what RCMP called real-world policing and public safety implications.
About four years ago, psychology students at StFX began digitizing and analyzing 20 years of RCMP cell log data with local RCMP and Dr. Margo Watt, senior research professor and professor emerita in the Department of Psychology. Watt credited Sgt. Warren MacBeath, who in 2021, reached out to Watt and asked if she would be interested in analyzing the ledger data. She said the department was happy to explore what research questions the RCMP had about the data and then coming up with questions of interest and importance such as intimate partner violence.
Dr. Margo Watt (St. FX University photo)
Trained students digitized the data under the supervision of designated officers while de-identifying the cases, which took about three and a half year. Since then, two honors students completed their honors research with the data while a third is in the process.
Watt said the work helped forge a nice relationship with the detachment.
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council offered two multi-year research grants to support the work.