News and Events

The Policing Leadership Academy’s Meredith Stricker and Kenneth Corey penned an op-ed discussing the recent spotlight on crime in the U.S. and the academy’s focus on building the capacity of police commanders managing jurisdictions with the highest rates of violence.

The New York Times’ Shaila Dewan speaks with Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig about the politics of crime in the U.S.

Mariah Woelfel for NPR and WBEZ Chicago speaks to the Crime Lab’s Kim Smith about the notable drop in violent crime in Chicago so far in 2025 and the strategies in place to prevent violence in communities.

Tyler Dean Kempf, creative director of Second City Works, highlights a partnership between the Crime Lab’s Policing Leadership Academy and The Second City that uses improv to help law enforcement build trust, improve communication, and strengthen relationships.

In an op-ed for the Washington Post, E.J. Dionne Jr. highlights recent declines in homicides and shootings in the U.S. and discusses this return to pre-pandemic crime levels with Crime Lab leaders Roseanna Ander, Jens Ludwig, CVI Leadership Academy Executive Director Chico Tillmon, and former Los Angeles police chief and advisor to the Policing Leadership Academy Charlie Beck.

Greg Hinz for Crain’s Chicago Business provides commentary on the city of Chicago’s declining violent crime rates and highlights Crime Lab analysis of homicide data for New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago from 1890-present. 

Crime Lab Executive Director Katie Hill joined WBEZ Chicago’s Reset podcast with Sasha-Ann Simons to discuss strategies for maintaining the recent downward trends in shootings and homicides as local violence prevention groups navigate federal funding cuts to research-backed CVI programs.

In an op-ed for Crain’s Chicago Business, Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig highlights the importance of using data-informed practices to improve public safety and shares key insights from behavioral economics that provide a playbook for addressing gun violence that is both effective and low-cost.

Crime Lab executive director Katie Hill pens an op-ed for Brookings about how cognitive behavioral programs can teach teens decision-making skills that can dramatically reduce violence and save lives – often at little or no additional cost.

Dr. Nour Abdul-Razzak joins host Jennifer Doleac on the Probable Causation podcast to discuss the Choose to Change program—an intervention that integrates trauma-informed therapy with comprehensive support to reduce youth violence and improve educational outcomes.