The Role of Research in Police Reform: The Journey from Academia to Policy

• In Event: Policy Panel: Translating Police Research and Reform Into Practice

Abstract

Policing research is more relevant today than in any other time in the history of our field of study. Yet, as police agencies across the country look to develop and implement significant reform, they often fail to recognize the critical role that researchers could play in the implementation and sustainability of these reform efforts. This presentation will discuss the implementation of multiple reform efforts by the University of Cincinnati Police Department (UCPD) in the aftermath of a White campus police officer-involved shooting of an unarmed Black male during an off-campus traffic stop. Emphasis will be placed on describing the process for university policing reform in a city well-recognized for previous work in municipal policing reform. The role of research and the development of a potential model for voluntary reform and monitoring will also be presented. Finally, this presentation will describe first-hand the personal journey from academia to policy-maker leading the reform efforts.

Author

• Robin S. Engel, University of Cincinnati