Policing

If we want to address America’s gun violence epidemic and save lives today, fair and effective policing is essential. But for too many communities, we are failing to deliver that kind of policing.

While the homicide rate has decreased nationwide since its historic high in the 1990s, many of America’s most violent neighborhoods are experiencing higher rates of gun violence than ever before. This gun violence has exacerbated the safety gap in American cities and taken a devastating toll on communities of color. If we want to address America’s gun violence epidemic and save lives today, fair and effective policing is essential. But for too many communities, we are failing to deliver that kind of policing.

The Crime Lab works directly with police agencies and experts to evaluate interventions to improve officer training, strengthen department management, narrowly focus violence reduction efforts, and rebuild police-community relationships to make policing more fair and effective.

20-35%

Our research found that when police department leadership changes, rates of violent crime and police use of force can drop at least 20-35% – proving that management matters.

22%

Police officers who completed Sit-D, a training program designed and evaluated by the Crime Lab, engaged in 22% fewer uses of force for months after the training.

Related Projects
Policing Leadership Academy
CURRENT

Policing Leadership Academy

The Policing Leadership Academy (PLA) is designed to increase safety and fairness in America’s most violent neighborhoods.

Officer Support System (OSS)
CURRENT

Officer Support System (OSS)

The Crime Lab partnered with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to develop the Officer Support System (OSS), a next-generation, data-driven early intervention system to promote officers’ long-term mental health and wellness.

Situational Decision-Making (Sit-D)
CURRENT

Situational Decision-Making (Sit-D)

The Crime Lab and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) partnered to create and evaluate a behavioral science-informed training that helps improve officer decision-making in ambiguous, high-stress situations.

Workforce Allocation Analysis
CURRENT

Workforce Allocation Analysis

The Workforce Allocation (WFA) Analysis examined where personnel resources at the Chicago Police Department are allocated to improve efficiency, equity, and transparency in patrol staffing.

Related Resources
Webinar- Situational Decision-Making: A New Training to Improve Policing
Webinar

Webinar- Situational Decision-Making: A New Training to Improve Policing

Oct 2023

The Crime Lab hosted a webinar on the findings of our recently released study, A Cognitive View of Policing, which evaluated a pilot of the Situational Decision-Making (Sit-D) police training program.

NCGVR Webinar: Interventions to Improve Police Effectiveness
Video

NCGVR Webinar: Interventions to Improve Police Effectiveness

Sep 2023

In a recent webinar hosted by the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research, Oeindrila Dube presented her findings on the evaluation of Situational Decision-Making, while Philip Cook discussed the evaluation of the Chicago Police Department’s Area Technology Centers.

NBER Working Paper: A Cognitive View of Policing
Academic Paper

NBER Working Paper: A Cognitive View of Policing

Sep 2023

Read the working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

NBER Working Paper: Body-Worn Cameras in Policing: Benefits and Costs
Academic Paper

NBER Working Paper: Body-Worn Cameras in Policing: Benefits and Costs

Mar 2021

This working paper dives into what we know about the benefits of body worn cameras and how those benefits
compare to the costs of this new technology.

Latest Updates

Incrementalism Beats YOLO
Op-Ed
Vital City
Mar 2024

Incrementalism Beats YOLO

For Vital City’s “Does Evidence Matter?” issue, Crime Lab affiliate Philip Cook and Pritzker director Jens Ludwig provide commentary highlighting evidence that incremental social policies have a positive impact on society.

Jens Ludwig and Jacob Miller: We are seeing a lethal shift in America’s gun violence crisis
Op-Ed
Chicago Tribune
Mar 2024

Jens Ludwig and Jacob Miller: We are seeing a lethal shift in America’s gun violence crisis

The Crime Lab’s Pritzker director Jens Ludwig and analyst Jacob Miller provide commentary on the increase in the lethality of shootings despite the decrease in overall gun violence last year.

How to Redesign Police Training to Reduce the Use of Force
Media Mention
Chicago Booth Review
Mar 2024

How to Redesign Police Training to Reduce the Use of Force

The Chicago Booth Review’s Kasandra Brabaw highlights the Crime Lab’s study of Situational Decision-Making, a new kind of officer training that led to a dramatic drop in the use of force.