SMART POLICING INITIATIVE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Analyst
- Outreach Coordinator
- Expert
Amada Bond is an expert in juvenile justice, community-police relations, and human trafficking. At CNA, she works on a variety of US Department of Justice initiatives, as well as organizational reform. Bond's recent research topics include data bias and predictive algorithms, extremism within the ranks of law enforcement, policing and homelessness, and systemic solutions for youth involved in the justice system. Bond has more than a decade of experience working with and examining the issues faced by disenfranchised youth in the court system, and over 5 years of experience in people, program, and project management.
Prior to joining CNA, Bond served as a project manager at the International Association of Chiefs of Police, where she managed several anti-human trafficking projects, and also worked on a congressional initiative that focused on enhancing community-police relations.
Areas of Expertise:
Police, Opioid Epidemic and law enforcement, Police Leadership,Violence Reduction & Gun Violence, Community outreach and collaboration, Developing partnerships, Problem-oriented policing, Police operations, 21st Century Policing
Biography:
Superintendent (ret.) William "Bill" Taylor, has 36 years of law enforcement experience and has been associated with CNA since 2018. He serves as a senior advisor in CNA's Center for Justice Research and Innovation. Previously, he served as superintendent of the Lowell Police Department (LPD) for five years, leading 250 sworn officers in a multicultural population of 110,000. Throughout his career, Taylor has been known as an innovative leader who is passionate about the welfare of citizens. As superintendent, he restructured the department into a national model for community policing, based on prevention, problem-solving, and partnerships. Under Taylor's leadership, the (LPD) accomplished three consecutive years of double-digit crime reduction, significantly reduced fear of crime, and expanded police outreach to a diverse community. He conducted a complete review of all policies using cloud-based technology, and he improved training including a Sergeants Leadership Course. He also developed the department's Community Opioid Outreach Program (CO-OP) in response to the devastating opioid epidemic, which received national recognition from the Department of Justice (DOJ) as well as $1.3 million in federal grant. Taylor currently serves as a law enforcement expert for multiple Bureau of Justice Assistance programs, including the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) programs.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Public Service in the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk
- Subject Matter Expert
Brenda J. Bond is an Associate Professor of Public Service in the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University. Brenda's area of expertise is the management and performance or police organizations. Her research and consulting with police organizations centers on organizational change and development, strategic management, and comprehensive approaches to community safety. She has extensive experience in grant writing, program development and evaluation, various research methodologies in assessing crime, disorder and fear of crime, analyzing the quality and utilization of crime and community data, and facilitating police organizational change and management practice. She works closely with police leaders across the nation on a variety of program and policy initiatives.
Brenda's current research agenda includes an emphasis on administrative systems tools such as Compstat, Crime Analysis, and Police Research and Development practices, strategic and operational elements of hot spot policing, and the use of inter-organizational strategies in achieving public safety outcomes.
Prior to joining Suffolk University, Brenda served as Research Associate in the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Her previous professional activities include serving as Strategic Development and Resource Advisor for the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, the Director of Research and Development for the Lowell, Massachusetts Police Department and as an Evaluator and Program Manager for a variety of community-based initiatives at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Brenda received her Ph.D. from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She also has a Master's degree in Social Policy from Brandeis and a Master's Degree in Community Social Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Job Titles:
- Analyst
- Senior Research Scientist With CNA 's Institute of Public Research
Dr. Brittany Cunningham is a Senior Research Scientist with CNA's Institute of Public Research. She is an expert in scientific research and analysis and has more than a decade of experience designing, implementing, and managing rigorous research studies and evaluations at the local-, state- and national-level. Brittany works with Cleveland OH, providing TTA and strategic planning support for targeted initiatives for the reduction in violent crime.
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Co - Founder of the Lake County Opioid Initiative
- Subject Matter Expert
Chief Bruce N. Johnson retired from law enforcement after decades of experience with the Morton Grove, Schaumburg, and Round Lake Park Illinois Police Departments. He is the Chief Executive Officer for Nicasa Behavioral Health Services, a nationally recognized leader in the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
Chief Johnson has instructed for Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, the University of Illinois Center for Public Safety and Justice, and William Rainey Harper College.
Chief Johnson is Co-Founder of the Lake County Opioid Initiative and Past-Chair of the Lake County Underage Drinking and Drug Prevention Task Force. He serves on the Illinois Substance Use Disorder Advisory Council and William Rainey Harper College and College of Lake County Human Services Advisory Committees. He is a Life Member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, served on the Executive Board of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, and is a Past-President of the Lake County Chiefs of Police Association. Mr. Johnson is Vice Chairman of the Lake County Crime Stoppers Board of Directors, and he is the founder of the Mano a Mano Family Resource Center where he also served as Board President. Mr. Johnson retired as a Chief Warrant Officer after more than 28 years of service in the United States Marine Corps. He was awarded the Bronze Star while forward deployed in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Mr. Johnson supports CNA's Smart Policing Initiative and CNA's Justice Reinvestment Initiative.
Job Titles:
- BJA Program Staff Member
- SPI Senior Policy Advisor
Catherine (Kate) McNamee is a Policy Advisor within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). In this capacity, she plans and manages national level criminal justice programs designed to assist state and local law enforcement in adopting such promising practices as evidence based violence reduction strategies, intellectual property crime enforcement, and crime and violence prevention public education initiatives. Ms. McNamee previously held the position of Senior Research Analyst within the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO), and in this capacity oversaw the evaluation of sexual assault prevention and response programs within the U.S. Military Services as well as the United States Military Service Academies (MSAs). Prior to her work at DoD, Ms. McNamee was a Social Science Analyst within the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ) Violence and Victimization Research Division for six years, during which she managed the Strategic Approaches to Community Safety Initiative (SACSI), participated in the development and implementation of the President's DNA Initiative, and oversaw the deployment of national level prevalence studies of various crime issues as well as evaluations of promising crime prevention and law enforcement programs. She began her career at OJP as a Presidential Management Fellow within NIJ's Office of the Director in 2001, and holds an M.S. Degree in Justice, Law and Society from American University and a B.A. in English and Political Science from The George Washington University.
DeAnna Sweeney is an expert in criminal justice and mass communication. Miss Sweeney supports various projects within CNA's Safety and Security division, including the Smart Policing Initiative, Precision Policing impacts throughout COVID-19, Justice Reinvestment Initiative, Body-Worn Camera Training and Technical Assistance and the Public Safety Partnership through The Bureau of Justice Assistance. As an Analyst and Research Specialist on these projects, she maintains a detailed knowledge of site initiatives, supports strategic planning, and suggests TTA strategies to meet site needs. She also specializes in outreach work which entails creating the social media material for the SPI twitter and updating the SPI website with new resources and publications.
Prior to joining CNA, DeAnna was a Senior Reviewer for ICF where she worked with USAC, a subset of the FCC, to get telecommunications funding approved for medical practices in rural areas. Miss Sweeney has a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University where she also minored in Mass Communication. She speaks fluent Patois.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Chief
- Subject Matter Expert
Deputy Chief Kato began his law enforcement career when he entered the Los Angeles Police Department Academy in May 1987. After graduating from the Academy, he was assigned to Pacific Area for his probationary period where he worked in patrol and on the Beach Detail. Upon completing probation, he was transferred to 77th Street where he worked a variety of assignments in patrol, gangs and vice.
Deputy Chief Kato was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1959. He was raised in the city of Montebello where he graduated from Montebello High School in 1977. He received his Associate of Arts degree from East Los Angeles College and his Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Studies from the California State University at Long Beach.
Deputy Chief Kato is a resident of Torrance, California, where he lives with his wife and two sons.
Job Titles:
- Subject Matter Expert / Professor of Criminal Justice at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Areas of Expertise:
Police Technology, Gun Violence and Spatial/Temporal Correlates of Crime
Biography:
Dennis Mares received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri St. Louis and is a professor of Criminal Justice at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He has worked as research partner with local, state, and federal agencies on PSN and SPI grants and continues to actively work with agencies seeking to implement evidence-based practices. Dr. Mares' research and partnerships with law enforcement agencies has made him a foremost expert on police technology, in particular acoustic gunshot detection technology. Based in the St. Louis Metro region he also studies the interplay between violence and neighborhood conditions. His research has been published in leading academic and practitioner journals and has been featured in outlets such as the Washington Post and Reuters.
Job Titles:
- BJA Program Staff Member
- Co - Director
- Co - Director of CNA 's Center for Justice Research
Dr. James R. "Chip" Coldren, is the Co-Director of CNA's Center for Justice Research and Innovation, as well as the Co-Director for SPI. Dr. Coldren has worked in an applied research capacity for the last several decades, promoting evidence-based practices in all aspects of the justice system. He directs and advises several national justice system-oriented training and technical assistance programs.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Indiana
- Subject Matter Expert
Dr. Natalie Hipple is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Indiana University. She is a policing researcher with a special interest in police problem-solving. She studies the collaborative methods used by police departments to identify and reduce crime and disorder. For the last 20 years, she has worked extensively with a variety of law enforcement agencies in Indiana and across the United States. Her additional research interests include gun violence, incident reviews, restorative justice, and evaluation of criminal justice programs with a focus on publishing her work for practitioners.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Project Manager for the BWC TTA
- Subject Matter Expert
Dr. Rachel Johnston is the Deputy Project Manager for the BWC TTA project and a Senior Research Scientist for the Justice Research and Innovation Center at CNA. She has over 20 years of experience in research and analysis and project management. Her areas of expertise include policing organizations and policy, criminal justice systems reform, violence prevention, and justice systems collaboration. In addition to the BWC TTA project, Dr. Johnston supports the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) National Public Safety Partnership, Strategies for Policing Innovation, and the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. She works directly with law enforcement agencies and their stakeholders to coordinate and deliver TTA, guide analyses, share and document best practices, and evaluate program effectiveness.
Dr. Shelby Hickman is a criminologist who specializes in community based participatory research. She has extensive experience working with practitioners to implement and evaluate interventions that improve public safety and individual wellbeing. Dr. Hickman is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.
Job Titles:
- Researcher
- Technician
- Subject Matter Expert
Emily Blackburn is a researcher and technician based out of St. Louis, MO. She has been with the St. Louis Metro PD for 14 years and has managed their Crime Analysis Unit for the past 10 years. In this capacity she has worked to move the department forward in innovative uses of technology, data driven policing, and building outside partnerships to tackle crime fighting. In addition she strives to consistently work with research partners outside the department on topics to include effective police responses to crime hot spots, and utilization of technology in crime fighting.
Ms. Blackburn has an MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of MO - St. Louis., and is a Certified Law Enforcement Analyst through the International Association of Crime Analysts.
Job Titles:
- Open Air Drug Markets, Strategic Planning and Research Partner Acquisition
Job Titles:
- Subject Matter Expert / Independent Consultant, Fayetteville N.C. Police Department Chief of Police ( Retired )
Areas of Expertise:
Crime prevention, Community, community outreach and collaboration, law enforcement training and leadership, training
Biography:
Chief Medlock served as Chief of Police of the Fayetteville Police Department from February 18, 2013 to December 31, 2016. He served over two decades with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in a variety of assignments; promoting through the ranks. Chief Medlock promoted to Deputy Chief in 2008, overseeing the Field Services South Group, and serving as National Special Security Event (NSSE) Co-Chair for the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
Chief Medlock earned his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and an MBA from Pfeiffer University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute, the FBI National Academy and the Senior Management Institute for Police.
Chief Medlock actively served on a number of law enforcement and social issue boards including the North Carolina Governor's Crime Commission, the North Carolina Police Executives Association, the North Carolina Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission and the N.C. Commission for Racial and Ethnic Disparity.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Police Commissioner
- Subject Matter Expert
John Skinner is a full-time faculty lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice at Towson University, where he specializes in police policy and evidence-based violence reduction strategies. In addition to his position at the University, Mr. Skinner is a law enforcement technical advisor for the United States Department of Justice and has worked with multiple cities as a site liaison within the Police Collaborative Reform, Public Safety Partnership and Smart Policing initiatives.
Mr. Skinner is the former Deputy Police Commissioner and a 21-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department. As Deputy Police Commissioner, Mr. Skinner was responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of the agency's Operations Bureau which included all aspects of the Department's criminal investigations, tactical and patrol operations. During his tenure, Mr. Skinner implemented operational crime reduction strategies that led to historic 30-year lows in overall violent crime in Baltimore.
Mr. Skinner was awarded Police Officer of the Year in 2010 by the National Alliance on Mental Illness for his collaborative partnerships in training police officers. In 2009, he was recognized by the United States Department of Justice for the development of the Patrol Response Survey, an evaluation program that measures the community's perception of police performance. Mr. Skinner was also named "Baltimorean of the Year" by Baltimore Magazine for the creation of the Safe Zone Project, a nationally recognized community stabilization strategy.
Mr. Skinner is a graduate of JINSA's international homeland security exchange program with the Israel National Police Force. Mr. Skinner holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and is currently a doctoral candidate in the Public Policy Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Job Titles:
- Subject Matter Expert / Independent Advisor
Areas of Expertise:
Problem-oriented policing, situational crime prevention, sustainability, mapping and crime analysis, policing
Biography:
Julie Wartell has spent over 25 years working with local, state and federal criminal justice agencies and communities around crime analysis, research and prevention; including as a crime analyst for police and prosecution, managing a regional crime mapping initiative, conducting research and evaluation for non-profits, as a National Institute of Justice fellow, and as an independent advisor. Julie has performed a wide range of research and analysis of crime problems, conducted studies of police and prosecutor processes, and assessed information technologies. She has conducted extensive training and presentations to officers, prosecutors, analysts and community internationally on topics relating to analyzing crime and problem solving. Julie has edited or authored numerous publications and teaches and conducts research at the University of California-San Diego. She has an MPA from San Diego State and a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Criminology and Police Management from University of Cambridge.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Missouri
- Subject Matter Expert
Ken Novak is currently a Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Missouri - Kansas City (UMKC), where he has worked since 1999. He was Principal Investigator for several federally funded initiatives, including Smart Policing Initiative, Crime Gun Intelligence Center, Project Safe Neighborhoods, and the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program. He has collaborated with a number of local and federal organizations and community groups in an effort to identify best practices, including the Kansas City (MO) Police Department, the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission, the Overland Park Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He has published scientific research on policing, racial profiling, the use of force, perceptions of the police, foot patrol, and focused deterrence. He is co-author of Police and Society, 8th ed. (Oxford University Press). Dr. Novak is a member of the the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing. He has a Ph.D. and M.S in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati, and a B.S. in criminal justice from Bowling Green State University.
Job Titles:
- Retired Deputy Chief
- Subject Matter Expert
Mr. Mac Venzon is a retired Deputy Chief from the Reno Police Department in Reno, Nevada. During his nearly 24-year career with the Reno Police Department, Mr. Venzon worked in all aspects of drug enforcement and transitioned a narcotics unit from strictly enforcement oriented, to a unit focused on education coupled with enforcement.
In 2012, Mr. Venzon was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief. In the last 8 years of his career, he had the opportunity to oversee each of the divisions of the Reno Police Department.
Deputy Chief Venzon is a graduate of the 262nd session of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum's (PERF) Senior Management Institute of Police.
In retirement, Deputy Chief Venzon has spent time consulting for CNA and working with an international police department as they conduct national police reform.
Job Titles:
- Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal
- Subject Matter Expert
Michael D. White, Ph.D. is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University, and is Associate Director of ASU's Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety. Dr. White is Co-Director of Training and Technical Assistance for the U.S. Department of Justice Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program. He received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Temple University in 1999. Prior to entering academia, Dr. White worked as a deputy sheriff in Pennsylvania. Dr. White's primary research interests involve the police, including use of force, technology, and misconduct. He has published more than 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals and his recent work has been published in Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Criminology and Public Policy, and Criminal Justice and Behavior. He is co-author of Cops, Cameras, and Crisis: The potential and the perils of police body-worn cameras (2020); Stop and Frisk: The Use and Abuse of a Controversial Policing Tactic (2016); and Jammed Up: Bad Cops, Police Misconduct, and the New York City Police Department (2013; all three published by New York University Press). Dr. White has commented extensively in the media on police issues, especially body-worn cameras, including in Scientific American, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, TIME Magazine, CNN, NPR, and MSNBC. He also testified about body-worn cameras before the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Dr. White has served as the PI or Co-PI on grants exceeding $11.1 million, including grants from the National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Laura and John Arnold Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to his current work as Co-Director of Training and Technical Assistance for the U.S. Department of Justice's Body-Worn Camera program, he currently serves as the research partner for two projects with the Tempe Police Department: The Tempe Strategies for Policing Innovation (funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance), which centers on the development and evaluation of a police de-escalation training program; and the Tempe First Responder Opioid Recovery Project (funded by SAMHSA), which involves training and outfitting all patrol officers with naloxone. He is also currently the co-PI on two National Institute of Justice grants, one evaluating the deployment of body-worn cameras in a local jail and the other employing social network and spatial analysis to understand and address fentanyl distribution networks in Long Beach, CA.
Job Titles:
- BJA Program Staff Member
- Co - Director
Mr. Christopher Sun oversees the SPI program and provides technical assistance and support to grantee sites. Mr. Sun has over a decade of experience supporting and implementing research-practice partnerships. Prior to the SPI, he was the Deputy Director of the Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia and oversaw the research and technical assistance agendas for Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia on topics such as school discipline and school reform. He also served as a lead coordinator for professional learning communities in criminal justice and education.
Mr. Demetrius Whipple helps support CNA's Smart Police Initiative as an analyst and research specialist, where he provides training and technical assistance, assists in reviewing action plans for project implementation, and provides organizational assessment for agencies. Mr. Whipple has expertise in juvenile justice, detention reform, racial bias and disparity analysis, program evaluation, project management, and a diverse set of criminological and law enforcement topics. Prior to joining CNA, Mr. Whipple worked with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services in a variety of roles.
Ms. Alexa Blondin is trained in the principals of human behavior and criminology and supports four Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) sites. Ms. Blondin assists by reviewing site implementation plans, providing valuable resources to ensure each site's success, documenting site progress, and facilitating site meetings. Ms. Blondin also identifies training and technical assistance needs, in addition to providing training and technical assistance as required.
Ms. Gentry Schaffer has over a decade of experience in the criminal justice field as both a researcher and a sworn police officer. With expertise in law enforcement administration, program evaluation, and process improvement, Gentry supports multiple SPI sites by developing resources and training materials on project implementation and sustainability.
Job Titles:
- Senior Collaboration Expert
Ms. Hildy Saizow is a former Executive director of the Justice Research and Statistics Association. She has worked for over 20 years as a criminologist, public policy analyst, community partner, and consultant to non-profit and government agencies.
Ms. Keri Richardson supports the Smart Policing Initiative program through administrative logistical support, data collection, agenda development, site visit planning, and project documentation. Keri supports numerous sites through recommending training and technical assistance, administering site visit documentation, highlighting next steps from monthly site calls, and facilitating sites receiving supporting resources.
Ms. Monique Jenkins supports multiple Smart Policing Initiative program sites by helping with action plan review, site visit planning, and project documentation. Monique coordinates with each law enforcement agency to identify unique TTA opportunities that will aid the site in their goals.
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Subject Matter Expert / Independent Consultant, Metropolitan PD, Macon, Georgia PD, Richmond, Virginia PD, Charlotte - Mecklenburg PD ( Retired )
Areas of Expertise:
Leadership & 21st Century Policing
Biography:
Chief (retired) Rodney D. Monroe, began his career as a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington DC, retiring as an Assistant Chief of Police after 22 years of service to the citizens of the District of Columbia. In 2001 he was appointed Chief of Police for the city of Macon Ga, as the first African American Chief of Police. After spending four years as chief, he was recruited and appointed as the Chief of Police for the city of Richmond Va. in 2005. As in his previous assignment he achieved significant reductions in violent crime to include the lowest number of homicides over the past 34 years.
Recognized as an innovator and practitioner of community policing, he was appointed Chief of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in 2008. Under his leadership, the Department has refocused its efforts on crime fighting and crime prevention through a more accountable organizational structure, new technology and an enhanced strategy of community policing. His efforts once again led to a historical reduction in violent crime and homicides. Chief Monroe has been recognized for his continued success in engaging ex-offenders in various efforts to stem the tide of violence in several communities. He has established partnerships with a number of non-for-profit organizations addressing youth/gang related violence. Chief Monroe has planned, organized, and commanded several major special events to include the Million Man March, Presidential Inauguration, and the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
Chief Monroe holds a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from University of Phoenix. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the National Executive Institute. He has served as an Executive Committee member for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, member of Major Cities Chiefs and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
Chief Monroe continues his police reform efforts by partnering with noted professional organizations providing consulting services and subject matter expertise on various collaborative reforms, critical incident reviews, violence reductions efforts, Body Worn Camera Programs, and the handling of mass demonstrations and special events.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University
- Senior Evaluation Subject Matter Expert
- Senior Scientist at CNA
- Subject Matter Expert
Scott Decker is Senior Scientist at CNA, the Center for Naval Analysis in the Justice Research and Innovation Division. In this capacity, he advises CNA on the Strategic Policing Initiative, Project on American Justice, and Body Worn Camera Project. He provides input into research design and policy statements on numerous projects. He graduated from DePauw University with a BA in Social Justice and earned a Ph.D. in Criminology from Florida State University. He was formerly Foundation Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. Decker has served as an adviser or consultant to the National Institute of Justice, National Science Foundation, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Bureau of Justice Assistance, OJJDP, and Office of National Drug Control Policy. Professor Decker served as a Member of the Missouri Sentencing Commission for ten years and as a member of the Arizona POST Board for five years. Temple University Press will publish On Gangs in 2022.
Scott H. Decker is a Foundation Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. The American Society of Criminology awarded Decker the title of "Fellow" in 2012 for his scholarly contribution to the intellectual life of the discipline and his substantial role in the career development of other criminologists. Prior to becoming the inaugural director of the ASU School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (2006- 2013), he was Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at UM-St. Louis where he received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research in 1989 and in 2001 was named Curators' Professor. He was named a Fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in 2007, and was the Hindelang Lecturer at the University at Albany in 2009. In March, 2011 he won the Bruce Smith Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Dr. Decker is the author of 15 books, over 150 articles and chapters, and more than one hundred presentations in the US, Canada, Europe and Central America. His research has been funded by the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Professor Decker's primary research focus has been on criminal justice policy, gangs, violence, and the offender's perspective. Four of his books have won major awards: Life in the Gang: Family, Friends and Violence, (Cambridge University Press, 1996), Burglars on the Job: Streetlife and Residential Burglary (Northeastern University Press, 1994), Lessons from the Inside: Drug Smugglers on Drug Smuggling (Temple, 2008) and European Street Gangs and Troublesome Youth Groups (Alta Mira, 2005).
Areas of Expertise:
Evaluations, data management and utilization, interdisciplinary and interagency collaborations, organizational structure and culture, gun violence, gangs, repeat offender identification, crime analyses, police legitimacy, outreach, data-driven strategies
Biography:
Shila René Hawk, PhD, is a lead data scientist and law enforcement expert. She has a strong record of conducting rigorous evaluations, supporting project collaborations, and engaging in action research, particularly with law enforcement agencies and their partners. For example, she partners with USAOs and hundreds of police departments in Georgia on SPI and PSN projects. Every year she helps design numerous socio-ecological, interdisciplinary studies that promote evidence-based practice development and systems improvements. Her research efforts focus on the justice system, contagion of violence, and special populations. Dr. Hawk's work also centers on innovations in data collection and utilization. She has overseen data collection using mixed methods, worked on a variety of secondary dataset types, and is trained in a range of statistical techniques. She is a specialist in records management databases and contributes to an array of projects via programming, DBA integration, and analyses.
Dr. Hawk is accredited by the Emory Skill-Based Practitioner Training Program in Injury and Violence Prevention and the Georgia Gang Investigators Association. She also holds a full board of CITI Program Social Science Panel & Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA) Compliance and EVERFI Data Security and Privacy Certifications. She is a Bureau of Justice Assistance Smart Suite Researcher Practitioner Fellow and has been recognized by both the academy and practitioners for her work. She is an active committee member of the Homicide Research Working Group and is on the Homicide Studies Editorial Board. Dr. Hawk's research can be found in prestigious journals such as Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Criminal Justice and Behavior, and the British Journal of Criminology.
Stacy Ward served with the Reno Police Department from 2008 to 2019. During her tenure there, she oversaw all substance abuse prevention and education programming for the department, and was the primary liaison with outside agencies in this field. Mrs. Ward directed the implementation of multiple federally funded initiatives, including the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Methamphetamine Initiative, the Bureau of Justice Assistance SPI project, and the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program grant. These initiatives focused on areas such as community education, healthcare professional partnership and education, and innovative data analysis. Since 2016, Mrs. Ward has also served as a Subject Matter Expert for CNA, wherein she advises other jurisdictions as they execute Smart Policing Initiative initiatives. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2007. Her professional areas of focus include substance abuse prevention, solving non-traditional police problems, and bridging the gaps between law enforcement and other civilian agencies in order to work toward common goals.
Job Titles:
- Subject Matter Expert / Independent Consultant
Areas of Expertise:
Leadership, Violence Reduction, DEI development, Strategic Planning, & Operations Assessment
Biography:
Mr. Terrance W. Gainer began his law enforcement career as a police officer in the Chicago Police Department and rose through the ranks, spending many years as an experienced homicide detective. An accomplished attorney, Mr. Gainer served as Chief Legal Officer of that department before he entered the Illinois State Government as Deputy Inspector General and Deputy Director of the Illinois State Police. He served at the U.S. Department of Transportation as Special Assistant to the Secretary before being appointed Director of the Illinois State Police.
In 1998, Mr. Gainer moved to Washington, DC, where he first served as Executive Assistant Chief of Police for the Metropolitan Police Department and four years later was selected to be the Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police. He then entered the private sector as a chief executive officer responsible for a multimillion-dollar innovative law enforcement program supporting military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
From January 2007 to May 2014, Mr. Gainer served as the 38th United States Senate Sergeant at Arms. While serving as Sergeant at Arms, Mr. Gainer was appointed a commissioner on the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, charged with conducting an independent assessment of the Iraqi Security Forces and reporting the findings to Congress. He also served with the Special Envoy for Middle East Regional Security, which was created to advance the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute by assisting in strengthening security institutions.
Mr. Gainer is a decorated veteran who served in Vietnam and retired as a captain in the United States Navy Reserve. He has a juris doctor and a master of science in management from DePaul University, as well as a bachelor of arts in sociology from Benedictine College.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor With CNA
- Senior Operations Expert
- Subject Expert
Tom Woodmansee is a Senior Advisor with CNA and has over 28 years of experience in policing. He serves as a SME for several BJA programs including SPI, the National Public Safety Partnership, the Body-Worn Camera Policy Implementation Program and the PSN. Tom works with numerous agencies around the country and specialized in providing TTA on violent crime reduction strategies, community policing practices, and addressing violent offenders. He has contributed to several articles, assessments, reports and webinars on policing best practices.