Reducing Crime

Carmen Best served with the Seattle police department for 28 years, rising through the ranks to take over as chief in August 2018. She led the department through the turbulence of the George Floyd protests culminating in the more-than-three-week occupation of the Capitol Hill neighborhood in what became the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Best resigning in protest when Seattle City Council voted to downsize the department by about 100 officers. We talk about all of that - and more - in this episode. A US Army veteran and graduate of Western Illinois University and Northeastern University, Best was the first African American woman to lead the Seattle police department. Having filled many policing roles, as chief she focused on diversity hiring and community engagement. Her professional education includes courses with the FBI National Executive Institute (NEI), the FBI National Academy, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association Police Executive Leadership Institute.

Ed Maguire is a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Arizona State University, where he also serves as director of the Public Safety Innovation Lab. We chat about the challenges involved in policing protests and demonstrations, and balancing an appropriate response in highly dynamic situations. Maguire shares his knowledge and experiences working with police in the US, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, and we discuss demonstrations including the Occupy movement, Black Lives Matter, and the January 6th Capitol riot.

Tanya Meisenholder is the Deputy Commissioner of Equity and Inclusion for the New York City Police Department (NYPD). We talk about hiring and retaining a diverse workforce, engaging underrepresented groups within the police service, and what she learned about being "black and blue" in a post-George Floyd world.

Jennifer Wood is a Professor of Criminal Justice at Temple University, and a criminologist with expertise in policing, regulation and public health. Our discussion covers the role law enforcement plays in the policing of mental health, addition and vulnerability, and the need to provide police with better structures, tools and options to help address these challenges. The detrimental impacts on officer health are also raised.

Commander Alex Murray is the London Metropolitan Police lead for trafficking, online child abuse, the flying squad, cyber crime, and major crime. He is a firearms, counter-terrorism and public order commander, and has previously work in local policing, CID and counter-terrorism. Prior to joining the Met in 2020, he was temporary assistant chief constable for crime with West Midlands police. In 2017 he was awarded an OBE in part for his contributions to evidence-based policing and founding the Society of Evidence-Based Policing. We discuss offender management opportunities during COVID-19, what to look for in an academic that can support policing advancement, and the important evidence-based policing lessons for police leadership.

Rod Brunson, a criminology expert at Northeastern University, discusses the critical balance between under-policing and over-policing in high-crime areas. He shares insights from his Washington Post op-ed, highlighting the dangers of neglecting communities. Brunson emphasizes the need for honest dialogue and transforming grief into constructive discussions post-George Floyd. He advocates for collaborative approaches in policing, aiming to build trust and improve safety in underfunded neighborhoods. Personal narratives and community engagement play a crucial role in his vision for effective crime reduction.

Bill Walsh is a lieutenant with the Voorhees police department in New Jersey. We chat about his work as their Health and Wellness Coordinator integrating a board-certified policy psychologist and police families into a comprehensive program geared towards officer wellness and resiliency.

Debra Piehl has been an innovator and leader in the development of crime analysis for over 20 years. We chat about the value of crime analysis to police leaders, the importance of data quality, crime analysis in Compstat and DDACTS, and the emerging role of analysts in evidence-based policing.

Rachel Tuffin in the Director of Knowledge and Innovation at the College of Policing for England and Wales. We discuss the unique national role that the college has across law enforcement policy and training.

Hans Menos leads Philadelphia's Police Advisory Commission, the civilian oversight agency for the Philadelphia Police Department. They provide recommendations on how to improve policing in the city, by analyzing the policies, practices, and customs of the Philadelphia Police Department. In a wide-ranging discussion, we talk about the challenges of police oversight, black lives matter, use of force, and different ways to move police accountability forward. Note that since this episode was recorded, the Philadelphia Police Department’s use of force policy has been amended and now includes documenting the unholstering or pointing of a service weapon.