Policing

If we want to address America’s gun violence epidemic and save lives today, fair and effective policing is essential. But for too many communities, we are failing to deliver that kind of policing.

While the homicide rate has decreased nationwide since its historic high in the 1990s, many of America’s most violent neighborhoods are experiencing higher rates of gun violence than ever before. This gun violence has exacerbated the safety gap in American cities and taken a devastating toll on communities of color. If we want to address America’s gun violence epidemic and save lives today, fair and effective policing is essential. But for too many communities, we are failing to deliver that kind of policing.

The Crime Lab works directly with police agencies and experts to evaluate interventions to improve officer training, strengthen department management, narrowly focus violence reduction efforts, and rebuild police-community relationships to make policing more fair and effective.

20-35%

Our research found that when police department leadership changes, rates of violent crime and police use of force can drop at least 20-35% – proving that management matters.

22%

Police officers who completed Sit-D, a training program designed and evaluated by the Crime Lab, engaged in 22% fewer uses of force for months after the training.

Related Projects
Policing Leadership Academy
CURRENT

Policing Leadership Academy

The Policing Leadership Academy (PLA) is designed to increase safety and fairness in America’s most violent neighborhoods.

Officer Support System (OSS)
CURRENT

Officer Support System (OSS)

The Crime Lab partnered with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to develop the Officer Support System (OSS), a next-generation, data-driven early intervention system to promote officers’ long-term mental health and wellness.

Situational Decision-Making (Sit-D)
CURRENT

Situational Decision-Making (Sit-D)

The Crime Lab and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) partnered to create and evaluate a behavioral science-informed training that helps improve officer decision-making in ambiguous, high-stress situations.

Workforce Allocation Analysis

Workforce Allocation Analysis

The Workforce Allocation (WFA) Analysis examined where personnel resources at the Chicago Police Department are allocated to improve efficiency, equity, and transparency in patrol staffing.

Related Resources
NBER Working Paper: Predicting Police Misconduct
Academic Paper

NBER Working Paper: Predicting Police Misconduct

May 2024

This paper outlines the results of research on over a decade of Chicago Police Department data that shows it is possible to predict risk of on-duty and off-duty misconduct, allowing police departments to prioritize training and supportive resources.

Webinar – Situational Decision-Making: A New Training to Improve Policing
Webinar

Webinar – Situational Decision-Making: A New Training to Improve Policing

Oct 2023

The Crime Lab hosted a webinar on the findings of our recently released study, A Cognitive View of Policing, which evaluated a pilot of the Situational Decision-Making (Sit-D) police training program.

NBER Working Paper: A Cognitive View of Policing
Academic Paper

NBER Working Paper: A Cognitive View of Policing

Sep 2023

Read the working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

NBER Working Paper: Body-Worn Cameras in Policing: Benefits and Costs
Academic Paper

NBER Working Paper: Body-Worn Cameras in Policing: Benefits and Costs

Mar 2021

This working paper dives into what we know about the benefits of body worn cameras and how those benefits
compare to the costs of this new technology.

Latest Updates

A Conversation on Recent Immigration Changes with Former Border and Customs Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske
Event
City Club of Chicago
Feb 2025

A Conversation on Recent Immigration Changes with Former Border and Customs Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske

The City Club of Chicago and the UChicago Crime Lab are hosting a dinner event in conversation with former Border and Customs Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, who will share his insights on immigration and the role of state and local law enforcement, as well as the changes we can anticipate under the second Trump administration.

Jens Ludwig — Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence
Event
Politics and Prose Bookstore
May 2025

Jens Ludwig — Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence

Join Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig for a book talk and signing at Politics and Prose Bookstore at Union Market in Washington, DC for his upcoming book, “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence.”

Jens Ludwig and Chief Bill Scott: The Unexpected Origins of Gun Violence
Event
Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California
Apr 2025

Jens Ludwig and Chief Bill Scott: The Unexpected Origins of Gun Violence

Join Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig for a book talk and signing at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, CA for his upcoming book, “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence.”