Our Team

Founded in 2015 as a non-profit center at New York University School of Law, the mission of the Policing Project is to partner with communities, police, and governments to promote public safety through transparency, equity, and democratic engagement. To learn more, visit: www.policingproject.org.

Photo collage of RPS team members

Design Team

To support jurisdictions’ re-imagining process, the Design Team is building a detailed framework to redesign public safety services in a way that centers and addresses community needs while minimizing reliance on unnecessary force and enforcement.

Placeholder image
Barge

Matthew Barge is an attorney, partner at 21CP Solutions, and senior consultant to the Policing Project. He is a civil rights and police practices expert and often leads and serves on consent decree monitoring teams.

Matthew
Barge
Placeholder image
Baxter

Darius Baxter is a Policing Project Fellow and President and CEO of GOODProjects, an anti-poverty program focused on youth and families in Washington, D.C. He is also Director of Social Impact at creative agency Wondros.

Darius
Baxter
Placeholder image
Bronson

Kristin Bronson is the City Attorney for the City and County of Denver, Co. She provides policy and legal advice to the mayor, city council, and various city agencies and offices.

Kristin
Bronson
Placeholder image
Carrión

Gladys Carrión is a Senior Fellow at the Columbia Justice Lab. She previously served as Commissioner of New York City's Administration for Children's Services and New York State's Office of Children and Family Services.

Gladys
Carrión
Placeholder image
Classen

Maurice Classen is an attorney with experience in safety and government. Former roles include Chief of Staff to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Director of Strategy for the Chicago PD, and Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in King County, Washington.

Maurice
Classen
Placeholder image
Cole

Christine Cole is a public safety consultant and police accountability expert. She's served as Executive Director of the Crime and Justice Institute and of the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Christine
Cole
Placeholder image
Dixon

Tyeesha Dixon is the founder and Principal of Dixon Park Group, a consulting firm that helps organizations prepare for and navigate transformational change. A former litigator and journalist, Tyeesha is currently a Senior Advisor for Reimagining and Reform with the Policing Project.

Tyeesha
Dixon
Placeholder image
Griffin

Prior to joining the Policing Project, Marquianna conducted research for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. She holds two master’s degrees – a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Arts in Sociology from The Ohio State University.

Marquianna
Griffin
Placeholder image
Herring

Chris Herring is a Policing Project Fellow and is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research focuses on poverty, homelessness, and housing in U.S. cities.

Chris
Herring
Placeholder image
Kavanagh

Shayne Kavanagh is the Senior Manager of Research for the Government Finance Officers Association. He is a leading developer of long-term financial planning and policy consulting for local governments in the U.S. and Canada.

Shayne
Kavanagh
Placeholder image
Longani

Kapil Longani is a Policing Project Fellow and an Adjunct Professor at Brooklyn Law School. He was formerly Chief Counsel to the Mayor of New York City, Senior Counsel to Chairman Elijah Cummings in Congress, and a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C.

Kapil
Longani
Placeholder image
Martin

Ganesha Martin is an attorney and the VP of Public Policy and Community Affairs at Mark43. She is the former Director of Criminal Justice for the Baltimore Mayor's Office and Chief of Compliance at the Baltimore Police Department.

Ganesha
Martin
Placeholder image
Morrill

Chris Morrill is CEO of the Government Finance Officers Association. He has decades of experience in local, federal, and international government and management.

Chris
Morrill
Placeholder image
Muhammad

David is the Executive Director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, which addresses the root causes of incarceration and violence, and partners with the country to support departments' public safety reimagining efforts in cities such as Oakland and Berkeley. Previously, he was the Chief Probation Officer of the Alameda County Probation Department and Chief of Committed Services for Washington, DC’s, Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. In 2013, David was the first Executive Director of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition in Los Angeles. He has also served as a federal court-appointed monitor, overseeing reforms in the Illinois juvenile justice system. In addition, David is a member of the Antelope Valley Monitoring Team, which is charged with monitoring the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department’s implementation of a federal Settlement Agreement.

David
Muhammad
Placeholder image
Pozo

Dr. Brandon del Pozo is an Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy & Practice and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brown University. He has 23 years of policing experience, including as Chief of Police in Burlington, VT.

Brandon del
Pozo
Placeholder image
Rahr

Sue Rahr is the former Sheriff of King County, WA, and former Director of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.

Sue
Rahr
Placeholder image
Smith-Baker

Chanda Smith-Baker is Chief Impact Officer/SVP of the Minneapolis Foundation. She has over 20 years of experience working in, for, and with underestimated communities.

Chanda
Smith-Baker
Placeholder image
Stoddard

Greg Stoddard is the Senior Research Director of the University of Chicago's Crime Lab New York. He oversees data science projects related to criminal justice reform.

Greg
Stoddard
Placeholder image
Williams

Jarred Williams is a Research Fellow with the Policing Project. Jarred has held several senior-level research positions with criminal justice reform and policy organizations, and was a Soros Justice Advocacy Fellow with Open Society Foundations.

Jarred
Williams

Research Team

With research rooted in evidence-based practices and drawn from subject matter expert interviews, the Research Team is collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data from our site cities with an aim to learn what initiatives have been successful and how risk is assessed from an initial call for service to final response.

Placeholder image
Asher

Jeff Asher is the founding partner of AH Datalytics. He was formerly an analyst at the CIA and a public safety consultant for the New Orleans City Council.

Jeff
Asher
Placeholder image
Bell

Dr. Monica Bell is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School and an Associate Professor of Sociology at Yale University.

Monica
Bell
Placeholder image
Bond-Fortier

Dr. Brenda Bond-Fortier is Professor of Public Administration at Suffolk University.

Brenda
Bond-Fortier
Placeholder image
Collins

Dr. Patrice Collins is an Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Cultures, Societies and Global Studies at Northeastern University.

Patrice
Collins
Placeholder image
D'Souza

Dr. Amanda D'Souza is a Project Coordinator at the Violence and Inequality Project at Princeton University.

Amanda
D'Souza
Placeholder image
Gillooly

Dr. Jessica Gillooly is an Assistant Professor of Sociology & Criminal Justice at Suffolk University.

Jessica
Gillooly
Placeholder image
Griffin

Prior to joining the Policing Project, Marquianna conducted research for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. She holds two master’s degrees – a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Arts in Sociology from The Ohio State University.

Marquianna
Griffin
Placeholder image
Horwitz

Ben Horwitz is a founding partner of AH Datalytics. He has worked with the U.S. Department of Justice and was formerly Director of Analytics for the New Orleans Police Department.

Ben
Horwitz
Placeholder image
Leech

Dr. Tamara Leech is a Research & Evaluation Specialist and Andrew Carnegie Fellow. She was previously an Associate Professor of Public Health at Montclair State University. Her work focuses on the well-being of young people who live in marginalized and underserved urban environments.

Tamara
Leech
Placeholder image
Stoddard

Dr. Greg Stoddard is the Senior Research Director at the University of Chicago's Crime Lab New York. He oversees data science projects related to criminal justice reform.

Greg
Stoddard
Placeholder image
Wakefield

Dr. Sara Wakefield is Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, Newark. Her research focuses on the consequences of mass imprisonment for the family.

Sara
Wakefield

RPS Advisory Board

Our work is informed by invaluable strategic guidance from our Reimagining Public Safety Advisory Board. Their expertise encompasses key areas crucial to our mission, such as policy and government, community advocacy and empowerment, public health, social services, and law enforcement. We thank them for their support and guidance.

Placeholder image
Baxter

President and CEO, GOODProjects; Director of Social Impact, Wondros

Darius
Baxter
Placeholder image
Bell

Professor of Law, Yale Law School; Associate Professor of Sociology, Yale University

Monica C.
Bell
Placeholder image
Carrión

Senior Fellow, Columbia Justice Lab; Former Commissioner, New York City Administration for Children's Services; Former Commissioner, NYS Office of Children and Family Services

Gladys
Carrión
Placeholder image
DeLord

Attorney; Founder, Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas

Ronald G.
DeLord
Placeholder image
Durkan

Former Mayor of Seattle; Former U.S. Attorney, Western District of Washington, U.S. Department of Justice

Jenny
Durkan
Placeholder image
Emanuel

Vice Provost for Global Initiatives; Co-Director, Health Transformation Institute; Levy University Professor, Perelman School of Medicine and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Ezekial J.
Emanuel
Placeholder image
Glazer

Founder, Vital City; Former Director, New York City Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice

Elizabeth
Glazer
Placeholder image
Herring

Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles

Chris
Herring
Placeholder image
Jones Austin

CEO and Executive Director, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies; Former Deputy Commissioner, NYC Administration for Children's Services

Jennifer
Jones Austin
Placeholder image
Katz

Vice President of Criminal Justice, Arnold Ventures; Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Safety, Chicago Mayor's Office

Walter
Katz
Placeholder image
Keesee

Co-founder and Senior Vice President, Center for Policing Equity; Former Deputy Commissioner for Training and Former Deputy Commissioner of Equity and Inclusion, New York Police Department

Tracie
Keesee
Placeholder image
Lopez

Professor from Practice and Faculty Co-Director of the Center for Innovations in Community Safety, Georgetown Law; Former Deputy Chief, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice

Christy E.
Lopez
Placeholder image
Ludwig

Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor, director of the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab, and co-director of the Education Lab.

Jens
Ludwig
Placeholder image
Lum

University Professor of Criminology, Law, and Society and Director, Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, George Mason University

Cynthia
Lum
Placeholder image
Mason

President, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Former Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

Karol
Mason
Placeholder image
Meade

President and Executive Director, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition; Chair, Floridians for a Fair Democracy

Desmond
Meade
Placeholder image
Meares

Walton Hale Hamilton Professor of Law and Founding Director, the Justice Collaboratory, Yale Law School

Tracy L.
Meares
Placeholder image
O'Toole

Former Chief, Seattle Police Department; Former Commissioner, Boston Police Department

Kathleen
O'Toole
Placeholder image
Papachristos

Professor of Sociology and Director of the Northwestern Neighborhood & Network Initiative, Northwestern University

Andrew V.
Papachristos
Placeholder image
Patton

Brian and Randi Schwartz University Professor of Social Policy, Communications and Medicine, Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Desmond Upton
Patton
Placeholder image
Ramsey

Former Commissioner, Philadelphia Police Department; Former Chief, Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia

Charles H.
Ramsey
Placeholder image
Sharkey

Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs

Patrick
Sharkey
Placeholder image
Sierra-Arévalo

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin

Michael
Sierra-Arévalo
Placeholder image
Smoot

Director, Police Benevolent & Protective Association of Illinois; Managing Partner, 21CP Solutions

Sean
Smoot
Placeholder image
Tubbs

Special Advisor for Economic Mobility and Opportunity to California Gov. Gavin Newsom; Former Mayor, Stockton, CA

Michael
Tubbs
Placeholder image
Turner

President and Director, Vera Institute of Justice; Former Managing Director, Rockefeller Foundation

Nicholas
Turner
Placeholder image
Western

Chair and Bryce Professor of Sociology and Social Justice; Director, Justice Lab, Columbia University

Bruce
Western

Funders and Partners

Reimaging Public Safety would not be possible without the generosity of our funders and partners, and we are grateful for their support and belief in our shared mission.

Funders

CHUBBCHUBB
Charles Koch FoundationCharles Koch Foundation
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family PhilanthropiesCharles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
Marc & Jeanne Malnati Family FoundationMarc & Jeanne Malnati Family Foundation
Microsoft Justice Reform InitiativeMicrosoft Justice Reform Initiative
Minneapolis FoundationMinneapolis Foundation
Pritzker Pucker Family FoundationPritzker Pucker Family Foundation
The Joyce FoundationThe Joyce Foundation
Walmart FoundationWalmart Foundation
With additional support from anonymous funders & foundationsWith additional support from anonymous funders & foundations

Partners

Center for Innovations in Community Safety, Georgetown Law Center
Center for Innovations in Community Safety, Georgetown Law Center

Center for Innovations in Community Safety, Georgetown Law Center

We are partnering with the Georgetown Law Center for Innovations in Community Safety to build a community of practice to support alternative first response.

Crime Lab
Crime Lab

Crime Lab

We are partnering with the University of Chicago Crime Lab to understand better why people call 911 and how best to design response systems for the people of Chicago.

Dignity Best Practices
Dignity Best Practices

Dignity Best Practices

We are partnering with Dignity Best Practices to convene stakeholders focused on improving dispatch technology to better support alternative response.

GLEPHA
GLEPHA

GLEPHA

We are partnering with the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association to understand how North American jurisdictions are applying public health approaches to public safety challenges.

Government Finance Officers Association
Government Finance Officers Association

Government Finance Officers Association

We are partnering with the Government Finance Officers Association to research and develop guidance for cities on paying for alternative response.

Health Lab
Health Lab

Health Lab

We are partnering with the University of Chicago Health Lab on improving dispatch and response systems through their Transform 911 initiative.

Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School
Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School

Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School

We partnered with the Justice Collaboratory to co-host community and law enforcement convenings about public safety and how to best achieve it.

Policing Project Team

Placeholder image
Bernardo

Nicole Bernardo is the Senior Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives at the Policing Project. She previously worked as Operations Manager, leading logistics, financial operations, human resources, and internal affairs development.

Nicole
Bernardo
Placeholder image
Camp

Katie Camp is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Policing Project. She previously worked in Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's Office of Reentry, overseeing programs and policies for reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals.

Katie
Camp
Placeholder image
Douglas

Evan Douglas is the Public Safety Innovations Manager at the Policing Project. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Temple University and a Master of Arts in criminology from George Washington University.

Evan
Douglas
Placeholder image
Friedman

Barry Friedman has taught, litigated, and written about constitutional law, the federal courts, policing, and criminal procedure for over 30 years. He currently serves as the Faculty Director of the Policing Project at New York University School of Law, where he is the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law and Affiliated Professor of Politics. Friedman is the author of Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission (2017), and has written numerous articles in scholarly journals, including on democratic policing, alternatives to police responses to 911 calls, and the Fourth Amendment.

Barry
Friedman
Placeholder image
Gonzalez

Rita Gonzalez is a Special Assistant at the Policing Project. She is a graduate of Columbia School of Social Work where she specialized in criminal justice and the impact of social, legal and political structures and policies on underserved people and communities.

Rita
Gonzalez
Placeholder image
Heaton

Alexander Heaton is the Director of Transforming First Response at the Policing Project. He previously served as a Policy Advisor on Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's Public Safety Team and spent four years with the University of Chicago Crime Lab.

Alexander
Heaton
Placeholder image
Jordan-McBride

Mecole Jordan-McBride is Advocacy Director of the Policing Project. An organizer and lifelong Chicagoan, she was the former Executive Director of the United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations.

Mecole
Jordan-McBride
Placeholder image
Kinsey

Katie Kinsey is the Chief of Staff at the Policing Project. She also serves as a Staff Attorney, focusing on the ethical design and operation of policing tech.

Katie
Kinsey
Placeholder image
Manley

Natalie is an undergraduate research intern at the Policing Project. She is a Public Policy and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies double major at the University of Chicago.

Natalie
Manley
Placeholder image
McGough

Maureen McGough is Chief of Strategic Initiatives at the Policing Project. She is a former Senior Policy Advisor with the U.S. Department of Justice where she focsed on policing and systems reform.

Maureen
McGough
Placeholder image
Moore

Scott Moore is a graduate research intern at the Policing Project and a graduate student at Montclair State University studying public health and community health education.

Scott
Moore
Placeholder image
Rigterink

Freya Rigterink is Executive Director of the Policing Project. She has previously held roles in the New York City Mayor's Office, New York City Council, and Chicago Inspector General's Office.

Freya
Rigterink
Connect
With Us

Sign up to learn with us, by becoming a part of our Community of Practice of leaders nationwide interested in coming together to collaboratively problem-solve and share information about reimagining public safety.  Joining gives you exclusive access to the growing range of resources we share, including the latest research, relevant updates in the field, and invitations to special events.

Join us!

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.