Gun Violence

Community Safety Leadership Academies

The Community Safety Leadership Academies, composed of the Policing Leadership Academy and Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy, aim to rigorously train the next generation of policing and community violence intervention leaders.

Challenge

American cities are facing a public safety crisis, and the urgent day-to-day work of saving lives falls primarily to two sectors, police departments, and community violence intervention organizations, that have not yet been able to capitalize on the advances in data-driven management practices that have transformed many other sectors.

Opportunity

In light of the success of data-driven management in cities like New York and Los Angeles and Crime Lab research showing the game-changing impact of overhauling public safety management practices, the Crime Lab launched the University of Chicago Community Safety Leadership Academies (CSLA). Composed of a Policing Leadership Academy and a Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Leadership Academy, CSLA brings together emerging policing and CVI leaders for a 6-month education program on data-driven management, violence reduction, and community trust. CSLA is the most ambitious and robustly evaluated public safety leadership and management training program ever offered in the United States.

Project overview

American cities are facing a safety crisis. In 2020, America saw the largest rise in murders in 50 years. At least 12 major U.S. cities set homicide records. This surge in gun violence has exacerbated pre-existing public safety gaps experienced by many communities of color. It has erased progress in reducing gun violence in some neighborhoods since it peaked in the 1990s.

Thirty years ago, the murder rates in Los Angeles and New York City were at their respective historic highs. But from then through the start of the pandemic, murders dropped by fully 80% in LA and 90% in NYC. Why are LA and NYC outliers compared to other large American cities? Part of the answer seems to be that NYC and LA professionalized their police forces with better management techniques, technology, and training, as well as by prioritizing developing community violence intervention (CVI) capacity within the nonprofit sector.

While closing this public safety and trust gap will take long-term, sustained investment in both police departments and communities, we believe that by providing better training to police and CVI leaders, we can see quick, measurable improvements in public safety and trust.

That’s why the University of Chicago Crime Lab launched the Community Safety Leadership Academies (CSLA). The CSLA will offer first-of-their-kind programs to train the next generation of policing and CVI leaders from across America and the world, rigorously evaluating the program to determine its effectiveness. This effort brings together data and behavioral science insights of top academics at one of the world’s leading research institutions and leading practitioners who have a demonstrated track record of real-world success. Housed at the University of Chicago, the Academies will run simultaneously and with complementary curricula, with a goal to be the most impactful and robustly evaluated public safety training ever offered in the United States.

The first cohort of the Policing Leadership Academy (PLA), which began in May 2023, includes 24 police commanders and captains from across the country and the world. The PLA builds on prior research from the Crime Lab, showing that changes in police department management can drive reductions in both violent crime rates and police use of force. The six-month curriculum provides hands-on training in data-driven management, violence reduction, and community trust. The program is being run as a randomized controlled trial and supported by extensive qualitative research to measure if the training intervention improves police departments and the communities they serve.

The Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) launched its first cohort in September 2023 and draws from violence intervention nonprofits and organizations across the US. The program is qualitatively evaluated and aims to professionalize the CVI field further.

Years Active

2022 – present

Project Team

Roseanna Ander

Roseanna Ander

Founding Executive Director

Ashna Arora

Ashna Arora

Research Director

Jenni Collings

Jenni Collings

Program Manager

Dylan Fitzpatrick

Dylan Fitzpatrick

Research Director

Timantha Goff

Timantha Goff

Portfolio Director

Max Kapustin

Max Kapustin

Assistant Professor

Erin Kuller

Erin Kuller

Program Director, Policing Leadership Academy

Kristen Mahoney

Kristen Mahoney

Director, Policing Leadership Academy

Kim Smith

Kim Smith

Director of Programs

Meredith Stricker

Meredith Stricker

Chief of Staff

Chico Tillmon

Chico Tillmon

Director of Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy

Related Resources
Community Safety Leadership Academies: Brief
Project Overview

Community Safety Leadership Academies: Brief

Aug 2023

Learn more about our Community Safety Leadership Academies.

Community Safety Leadership Academies: Project Overview
Project Overview

Community Safety Leadership Academies: Project Overview

Aug 2023

Learn more about our Community Safety Leadership Academies.

University of Chicago Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Hosts First Cohort of Leaders from 21 Cities Across America
Press Release

University of Chicago Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Hosts First Cohort of Leaders from 21 Cities Across America

Sep 2023

Community leaders begin six-month leadership and management training program designed to equip participants with tools to advance the CVI field and transform communities.

University of Chicago Community Safety Leadership Academies Host First Cohort of Rising Police Leaders from Over 20 Departments Across America
Press Release

University of Chicago Community Safety Leadership Academies Host First Cohort of Rising Police Leaders from Over 20 Departments Across America

May 2023
The first CVILA cohort.
CVILA cohort in class.
The PLA cohort in class.
General Stanley McChrystal teaches at the PLA.

Watch the launch event video