Policy Brief

This is a one page version of the white paper: "Surveillance Technology in Public Housing: Proliferation, Consequences, and Recommendations." Camera surveillance systems in affordable housing primarily refer to security cameras that may include...

In late January 2024, Michigan’s Court of Claims approved a long-awaited settlement in Bauserman v. Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA), a case investigating the agency’s use of an automated system resulting in thousands of wrongful...

The U.S. aims to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 50% (from 2005 levels) by 2030, and to net zero by 2050, in line with international climate agreements. Decarbonizing transportation—the highest emitting sector in the U.S. economy—is...

The deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) is growing throughout the United States, driven by falling prices and the rise in variable renewable resources on the power grid. Utility-scale BESS can enhance grid reliability and balance...

Predictive policing is the application of analytical software to identify likely targets for police intervention and prevent crime. The last 8–10 years has brought the application of analytical tools and artificial intelligence to enable such...

Law enforcement agencies in Michigan are increasingly using drones as a common tool for purposes including surveillance, crime prevention, and search and rescue operations. Privacy concerns loom large as drones capture images and videos of...

Long a focus of dystopian science fiction lore, the development, deployment, and utilization of robotic dogs has recently entered the mainstream, with a number of U.S. law enforcement agencies purchasing the technology and announcing early phase...

The eastside of Detroit is over-burdened with multiple sources of air pollution which has a negative impact on our community's health. Through Project HEARD (Health Equity via Advocacy for Resources in Detroit), the Eastside Community Network's...

This two page guide informs citizens on how to advocate for a cause before the Detroit City Council. It explains the Council's structure; its schedule; how items get on the agenda and move forward through the decision-making process; and how public...

Tenant screening algorithms are a form of technology intended to provide quick and reliable background checks of potential tenants for landlords and management companies. In most landlord guides, the use of the tenant screening algorithms is deemed...

Employers are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to make hiring decisions. These data driven tools, also referred to as predictive/algorithmic hiring or machine learning (ML), are used across the hiring pipeline to filter...

This document was created as a result of feedback from the Detroit Office of Digital Equity and Inclusion (DEI), investigating the potential implications of installing an open access fiber network in Detroit. Staff at the DEI requested support...

Municipalities across the U.S. have begun to play a bigger role in providing internet access by implementing their own fiber internet networks. Fiber internet networks offer customers and operators faster speeds, lower costs, and increased...

The risks to humans from climate change are wide-reaching but felt unequally among members of society, including People with Disabilities (PWD). Despite this, PWD are often “invisible” to decision-makers and planners.  Current climate action plans...

In the United States, many jurisdictions are turning to pretrial risk assessment tools as an alternative to cash bail. More than 60 risk assessment tools are in use throughout the country today, at both the federal and state level and in multiple...

Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are a surveillance technology that can alert law enforcement about vehicle locations in real-time or provide information on past movements. In recent years, growing numbers of public and private entities have...

Decentralized wastewater treatment is the future of wastewater treatment. In developing countries without sophisticated wastewater infrastructure, it is the design of choice since it has lower capital costs, protects the local environment, and...

Acoustic gun detection systems (AGDS) are a law enforcement technology designed to detect gunshot sounds and notify police of the event and location in close to real time. ShotSpotter is the most well-known AGDS in the United States, sold by a...

Hopeful predictions estimate that by the end of 2021, only 10% of the world’s population will have received COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer, Moderna, and other vaccine manufacturers can only produce so many doses at a time. Most of the first recipients...

The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has left policy makers looking urgently to science for accurate information to inform mitigation efforts. Due to both the inherent uncertainty associated with studying an ongoing pandemic, as well as the...

Autonomous vehicle (AV) technology is developing rapidly and is poised to change all aspects of transportation and mobility. AVs are already on the road, some without backup human drivers. Widespread adoption of AVs will change the demand for labor,...

Scientists and private companies are increasingly testing the viability of ocean iron fertilization (OIF) as a large-scale climate change mitigation technique, sparking enormous worldwide controversy. This memo argues that before OIF experimentation...

Intellectual property (IP) is often unrecognized as a form of governance, but it shapes the development of technology in pivotal ways. Both the US and UK governments have recognized this in their discussions about the governance of geoengineering,...