2018

The First Ten: A Decade of Impact at the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab

We are pleased to share our report, The First Ten: A Decade of Impact at the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab. While there is no way to adequately express our gratitude to the extraordinary people and organizations with whom we have worked over the last decade, we offer this report as a tribute to you all.

We started the University of Chicago Crime Lab in 2008 and the Education Lab in 2011 because of the unconscionable levels of gun violence and social inequity in Chicago and across the nation. We firmly believed that the University of Chicago was in a position to do more to be a part of the solution.

Over the last decade, we have sought to use rigorous research and data to pursue answers, insights, and scalable solutions, working closely with those most deeply affected by gun violence and educational inequity. To do this work, we joined forces with those already developing and implementing promising ideas across the public, non-profit, and private sectors. We’ve tried our best to approach this work with humility, honesty, vigor, and a seriousness of purpose.

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Latest Updates

Senate Passes Promoting Police Leadership Act Inspired by University of Chicago’s PLA
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UChicago Crime Lab
Jun 2026

Senate Passes Promoting Police Leadership Act Inspired by University of Chicago’s PLA

The U.S. Senate passes the bipartisan Promoting Police Leadership Act, landmark legislation that draws heavily from the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Policing Leadership Academy (PLA).

UChicago Crime Lab’s Policing Leadership Academy Informs First-Ever Bipartisan Federal Legislation to Expand Commander-Level Law Enforcement Training
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Bipartisan Promoting Police Leadership Act, introduced by Senators Cornyn and Whitehouse, draws on UChicago model to set national standards

Second City is serious about using improv to train police leaders
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Second City is serious about using improv to train police leaders

Steve Hendershot for Crain’s Chicago Business joined an improv workshop hosted by The Second City for participants of our Policing Leadership Academy (PLA), where they build the skills that make great leaders: active listening, mental agility, putting aside assumptions, and communicating under pressure.