The Police
Institute at Rutgers-Newark integrates research, problem solving, and
criminal justice policy and practice. The institute serves as a
neutral convener of government agencies and community partners.
Its broad goal is to bring together social scientists, students, and
practitioners and focus their collaborative activities on genuine
community problems. Under the overall direction of Dr. George
Kelling, but led by Mr. Michael Wagers, the Police Institute, at any
one time, is involved in over a dozen initiatives. The Safer
Cities Partnership, whose mission is to improve community safety in New
Jersey through problem solving and collaboration, is the cornerstone of
many of the institute's activities. Begun in 1999, Safer Cities
is a broad coalition of criminal justice, social service, and
faith-based organizations.
Among the Police Institute's other projects are: Operation
CeaseFire, a strategy that is "working to stop the next shooting"; the
Juvenile Justice Reentry Initiative, which is redesigning how
ex-offenders are released back into the community; and the I-95
Domestic Security Preparedness Initiative, a project that involves
police, criminal justice, and homeland security leaders from Boston to
Miami. Supporting many of the institute's community justice
efforts are its "network of community organizers" assembled and guided
by Ms. Lori Scott-Pickens.
The
institute also hosts the monthly Motorola Lecture Series to provide
practitioners, community members, and students with a broad perspective
on preventing crime and terrorism. Past speakers have included
Sir Ian Blair, London Metropolitan Police, Chief William Bratton, LAPD,
and best-selling authors Malcolm Gladwell and David Osborne.
