Kim Smith
Director of Programs
Connect
Expertise
Kim Smith is the Director of Programs for the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab, where she works across a portfolio of research projects in close partnership with government agencies and local nonprofits. She works extensively on the Crime Lab’s efforts to make data more accessible to the public, most recently by supporting the development and release of the City of Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard, a tool for non-profit organizations, the media, and the general public, which provides near-real-time data and visualizations of violence trends.
Prior to joining the Crime Lab, she worked at Innovations for Poverty Action, a research organization dedicated to discovering and advancing what works to improve the lives of people living in poverty. Kim was one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ 40 Under 40 in 2022 and a fellow in the 2023 class of Leadership Greater Chicago. Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from McGill University.
Webinar: Overview of the City of Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard
Launched in May 2021 by the City of Chicago, with design and technical support from the Crime Lab, the Dashboard is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive tool that allows unfettered public access to city violence trends categorizable by victim type, date, and geographic area.
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.
City of Chicago Mayor’s Office Technical Assistance
The Crime Lab supports the City of Chicago’s Mayor’s Office on several crime reduction projects and initiatives that aim to improve public safety outcomes for Chicago residents.
Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) Technical Assistance
The Crime Lab has provided technical assistance to Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services and its service providers to aid in their efforts to more strategically direct their prevention and intervention services to those individuals most in need.
Strategic Decision Support Centers (SDSCs)
The Crime Lab and the City of Chicago joined forces to implement data-driven management strategies that address gun violence in some of the city’s most heavily affected communities.
Latest Updates
Chicago nonprofits gather to discuss progress, solutions for gun violence
CBS Chicago’s Darius Johnson speaks with the Crime Lab’s Kim Smith and Dar’tavous Dorsey about the goals of the event, which hosted nearly 50 nonprofits from every corner of Chicago for its first gun violence prevention expo.
Strides for Peace to debut Gun Violence Prevention Expo
Strides for Peace hosted a new expo focusing on gun violence prevention in Chicago, featuring an information session from the Crime Lab’s Chico Tillmon.