Kristen Mahoney

Kristen Mahoney serves as the Director of the Policing Leadership Academy. The Policing Leadership Academy is a six-month education program on data-driven management, violence reduction, and community trust for emerging police leaders and is a part of the University of Chicago Community Safety Leadership Academies. In this role, Kristen is responsible for the day-to-day management, operations, and strategic leadership of the Policing Leadership Academy.

Kristen comes to the Crime Lab from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance where she served as the Principal Deputy Director managing an agency responsible for over $4 billion in public safety resources. While at DOJ, she created the National Law Enforcement Knowledge Lab which is a trusted resource for law enforcement and the communities they serve. The Knowledge Lab supports public safety by identifying and disseminating fair and effective policing practices and providing evidence-based technical assistance. Kristen has comprehensive and practical experience creating reform-minded, effective violence reduction programming and technical assistance that aids state, local, and tribal communities.

She is known for her development of performance measurement and management tools enabling data analysis that drives state and local criminal justice policies, violence reduction, and reform. In 2016 she was recognized for her work developing and implementing the Violence Reduction Network (now the National Public Safety Partnership) and was awarded the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive by President Barack Obama. Kristen also served as the Executive Director of the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention. In that role, she led the planning, promotion, legislative, and investment strategies for the State of Maryland with government entities, private organizations, and the community to advance public policy, enhance public safety, reduce crime and juvenile delinquency, and serve victims. She came to the state government after serving as the Chief of Technical Services for the Baltimore Police Department and the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice for the City of Baltimore.

Kristen received her B.A. from Sweet Briar College and her J.D. from the University of Baltimore. She is a member of the Maryland Bar and has practiced law with the Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland, specializing in the representation of abused and neglected children.