CTWG Banner (1)

Patterns of crime began changing dramatically in the summer of 2020 as the nation responded to the COVID pandemic and the police killing of George Floyd. The Council on Criminal Justice began tracking the trends, first in support of our National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice and then for our Violent Crime Working Group. By providing snapshots of trends in large cities that make data readily available, the reports have filled a yawning gap in the nation’s knowledge about what was actually happening – and not happening – with crime in real time.

In April 2023, CCJ launched the Crime Trends Working Group to continue the important work of grounding debates about crime and criminal justice reform in facts. Its mission is to explore and explain current crime trends, while building consensus for significant improvements in the nation’s capacity to produce timely, accurate, and complete crime data.

With a diverse membership of expert producers and consumers of criminal justice statistics, the Working Group collects real-time crime data, identifies gaps in data collection and availability, and develops strategies to improve crime reporting nationwide as law enforcement agencies transition to a new federal reporting system.

The group is chaired by Richard Rosenfeld, Curators' Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and former president of the American Society of Criminology. Members are leaders from academia, advocacy, law enforcement, government, and the public health sector; the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the FBI have designated liaisons to the group. Members meet on a rolling basis, and their discussions and findings are summarized and released in public bulletins and webinars.

Working Group Members

Rosenfeld, Rick
Richard Rosenfeld (Chair)
Curators' Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Abaya, Ruth
Ruth Abaya
Attending Physician, Emergency Department, and Practice-Based Scholar, Center for Violence Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Abt, Thomas
Thomas Abt
Founding Director, Violence Reduction Center, University of Maryland; Senior Fellow, Council on Criminal Justice
Adams, Delrice
Delrice Adams
Executive Director, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
Asher, Jeff low res
Jeff Asher
Co-Founder, AH Datalytics
Azrael, Deborah
Deborah Azrael
Director of Research, Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Cunningham, Jamein
Jamein Cunningham
Assistant Professor, Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, Cornell University
​Drew Evans
Drew Evans
Superintendent, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Garcia, Edgardo
Chief Edgardo Garcia
Chief of Police, Dallas Police Department; President, Major City Chiefs Association
Gibson, Brandon
Brandon Gibson
Chief Operating Officer, State of Tennessee
janet-lauritsen-818
Janet Lauritsen
Curators' Distinguished Professor Emerita, Dept. of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Nutter, Michael
Michael Nutter
Former Mayor, City of Philadelphia
OToole, Kathleen
Kathleen O'Toole
Partner, 21CP Solutions; Former Chief, Seattle Police Department
Rejon, Fernando
Fernando Rejón
Executive Director, Urban Peace Institute
Roman, John
John Roman
Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Public Safety and Justice, NORC at the University of Chicago
Shoaf, Lisa
Lisa Shoaf
Director, Statistical Analysis Center, Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services
Turner, Keon
Keon Turner
Data Analysis and Reporting Team Manager, Virginia Department of State Policing 

Working Group Liaisons

Griffith, Brian
Brian D. Griffith
Deputy Assistant Director, Law Enforcement and Technology Services Branch, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Hyland
Shelley Hyland
Senior Statistical Advisor, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

Meeting Bulletins

Illustration of a path that ends in a question mark with text, "Convening the Crime Trends Working Group"

Meeting Bulletin #1: Convening the Crime Trends Working Group

In the Crime Trends Working Group’s organizational meeting, expert producers and consumers of crime data introduced themselves and discussed the goals of the group.

CTWG Bulletin #2

Meeting Bulletin #2: Developing the Crime Trends Research Agenda

In the Crime Trends Working Group’s second meeting, members discussed what research is needed to inform discussions on nationwide crime trends and identified initial topics for investigation.

Bulletin 3

Meeting #3: The National Incident-Based Reporting System, An Introduction to Challenges and Solutions

In the Crime Trends Working Group’s first in-person meeting, members discussed challenges with implementation and the usability of the federal government’s current crime data reporting structure and prepared to establish recommendations for improvement.

Bulletin 4 (1)

Meeting #4: Exploring Changes in Homicide and Motor Vehicle Theft Rates

In the Crime Trends Working Group’s fourth meeting, members reviewed CCJ’s latest crime trends report and discussed changes in homicide and motor vehicle theft rates.

 

 

About the Art

The banner design was created by an adult in custody designer in the Oregon Corrections Enterprises (OCE) Graphic Design program. The mission of OCE, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Corrections, is to promote public safety by providing adults in custody with work and training opportunities in a self-sustaining organization.

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