Capacity Building

We help public safety partners maximize their impact by providing technical assistance and evidence-based recommendations to inform program design, implementation, and scaling.

Gun violence can’t be solved by research alone – it takes government agencies, community-based organizations, and community members working together to put research findings into practice. That’s why the Crime Lab partners with agencies and organizations to build their capacity by embedding analysts in-house, conducting independent project evaluations, and providing data-driven tools and recommendations. 

Latest Updates

UChicago Crime Lab’s Mayoral Public Safety Pledge
Op-Ed
UChicago Crime Lab
Aug 2026

UChicago Crime Lab’s Mayoral Public Safety Pledge

Chicago has a high-stakes mayoral election coming up in 2027. Given our dire budget situation, what should – or even can – whoever is in charge next do to address the city’s top priority: gun violence?

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

UChicago Crime Lab’s Policing Leadership Academy Informs First-Ever Bipartisan Federal Legislation to Expand Commander-Level Law Enforcement Training

Bipartisan Promoting Police Leadership Act, introduced by Senators Cornyn and Whitehouse, draws on UChicago model to set national standards