Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy

Lum named 2023 Distinguished Scholar by the American Society of Criminology Division of Policing

Colleen Rich — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 13:21:05 +0000

Lum named 2023 Distinguished Scholar by the American Society of Criminology Division of Policing Colleen Rich Mon, 09/25/2023 - 09:21

Cynthia Lum, Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society and director of ��ӽ紫ý’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, has been named the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Society of Criminology’s (ASC) Division of Policing.

Cynthia Lum. Photo by Office of University Branding

The award recognizes an established academic/researcher whose outstanding contributions to the field of policing either consists of a single outstanding work, a series of theoretical or research contributions, or the nominee’s accumulated scholarly contributions.

“I am thrilled that Cynthia has received this recognition,” said James Willis, Criminology, Law and Society department chair. “Cynthia is at the vanguard of the movement to ensure that scientific evidence gets a seat at the table of police policy and practice. As a scholar and researcher, she has made important contributions to knowledge about what works in making policing more effective and fairer, and as director of the internationally recognized Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, she has been instrumental to disseminating high quality scientific research and fostering closer researcher-practitioner partnerships. She has received many awards and prizes over the course of her distinguished career, and this honor is equally well deserved."

Lum was nominated for the award by former students and David Weisburd, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society and executive director of the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy. “Professor Lum is one of the most important police researchers in the field,” he said. “Her work has contributed to a wide range of knowledge about the police, but she has made particularly seminal contributions in the area of evidence-based policing. She not only contributes to the science of policing, but she has ‘made the scene’ of policing in a way that few police scholars have. Her work, which is widely cited, has also had tremendous influence on the reality of policing in the field.”

Kiesong Kuen. Photo provided

Kiesong Kuen, doctoral candidate in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society, also received a 2023 ASC Award—the Outstanding Student Article Award—for his article titled "What Makes Police Officers Resist Research and Evidence-Based Policing? Examining the Role of Organizational and Environmental Factors." This award is given to a single outstanding paper on the topic of policing written by a student enrolled in a recognized PhD program.

Lum and Kuen will be honored at this year’s ASC annual meeting in Philadelphia during the Policing Division’s annual reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 16.

Learn more about studying Criminology at Mason

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Mason and Fairfax County Police join forces for groundbreaking study on career trajectories of police officers

Colleen Rich — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 14:58:51 +0000

Mason and Fairfax County Police join forces for groundbreaking study on career trajectories of police officers Colleen Rich Tue, 04/18/2023 - 10:58

At a time when policing in the United States is facing major challenges, ��ӽ紫ý’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy is beginning a first-of-its-kind multi-method longitudinal study of a cohort of police officers to understand how officers progress through their law enforcement careers.

Police Chief Kevin Davis, Cynthia Lum, Jim Burch, and Maj. Greg Fried. Photo by FCPD

The center is partnering with the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) and the National Policing Institute to conduct the study, which they anticipate will be conducted over two decades.

The study is being led by University Professor Cynthia Lum, director of the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, and Beidi Dong, an associate professor of in Mason’s Department of Criminology, Law and Society.

Recruitment and retention of officers have been longstanding concerns in policing, as are the officers’ higher than national average rates of divorce and suicide. Fairfax Police Chief Kevin Davis said they want to understand what success looks like for law enforcement officers.

“It’s not just [achieving] a certain rank or assignment,” said Davis. “It is the ability to serve a community and maintain your physical and mental wellness—and the ability to have a life outside of your work.”

Lum, who has personal experience as a law enforcement officer, spoke about the Mason research center’s longstanding relationship with FCPD. “That shows a commitment to research, in both good times and bad,” she said.

Lum said that this study will help researchers and agencies to understand the various stages of officer careers, from their initial motivations and experiences in applying to the police agency, to “turning points” in their careers, which may influence their attitudes, actions, and decision to stay in the profession.

The research team also hopes to understand what changes police agencies can make to ensure officers are the most successful in serving their communities throughout their careers.

Jim Burch of the National Policing Institute said the importance of this study cannot be overstated, as police departments across the nation struggle with current and future staffing levels. Agencies around the country have indicated that in addition to losing officers and being understaffed, they are also finding it difficult to interest people in joining the policing profession in the first place. In turn, understaffing has impacted the ability of some agencies to provide public safety services to their communities.

“The reality is that policing is a profession, not a vocation,” said Burch. “And that's a significant change for us as we think about how we bring in new people into this profession, how we nurture them, support them and their families and their coworkers to drive that excellence and policing that everyone wants.”

Preliminary portions of the study are being supported by the National Policing Institute, using funding that the institute received from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Lum said they will be seeking additional funding to support the study across its 20-year timeline.

Burch emphasized that while the study is the first of its kind, they don’t want it to be one of kind. The institute would like to see this study replicated across the United States.

“We would love to see a network of research institutions, universities, nonprofit organizations like ours and police departments working together to learn about these challenges,” said Burch. “What we learn here in Fairfax County will inform and improve policing across the United States.”

Learn more about the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy

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Washington Business Journal: "Viewpoint: The case for an FBI headquarters in Northern Virginia's Springfield"

Jeannine Harvey — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 15:02:36 +0000

Washington Business Journal: "Viewpoint: The case for an FBI headquarters in Northern Virginia's Springfield" Jeannine Harvey Mon, 03/27/2023 - 11:02

��ӽ紫ý's President, Dr. Gregory Washington, recently shared his thoughts in Washington Business Journal, making a case for an FBI headquarters in Northern Virginia.

As Virginia and Maryland officials make their final pitches to be the home of the next FBI headquarters, Springfield is the clear choice. While Maryland has made an excellent case for how the state would benefit from an FBI relocation, Virginia stands alone in its capacity to bring transformational change to the FBI.

^{Without a doubt, the new FBI headquarters would bring great benefit to Northern Virginia. By embedding the FBI in Springfield, it would immerse itself in a majority-minority community where Latinos and Black and African Americans combine to make up the largest cohort. Seventeen languages in addition to English are spoken there, from Spanish to Korean to Arabic to French Creole."}

_{^{Dr. Gregory Washington}}

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��ӽ紫ý criminologists receive $1.48 million for improving mental health responses in public safety

John Hollis — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 17:51:24 +0000

��ӽ紫ý criminologists receive $1.48 million for improving mental health responses in public safety John Hollis Mon, 03/21/2022 - 13:51

��ӽ紫ý criminologists are to receive $1.48 million for improving mental health responses in public safety. Photo by Getty Images

��ӽ紫ý’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy (CEBCP) has been awarded $1.48 million in federal funds to enhance research and practice in police encounters of individuals in mental health crises.

Led by Sue-Ming Yang and Yasemin Irvin-Erickson, senior fellows in the CEBCP and professors of Criminology, Law and Society within Mason’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the research involves collaborative efforts among the CEBCP, the Prince William County Police Department, and the Roanoke County Police Department to enhance the capacity of policing mental health problems in Virginia. The coalition also includes the Roanoke City, Salem and Vinton police departments, each of which is also working towards implementing a co-responder model to assist people in mental health crisis.

“Law enforcement officials are routinely challenged about how to best respond and assist individuals experiencing a mental crisis—with the number of such encounters rapidly increasing,” said Mason Provost and Executive Vice President Mark R. Ginsberg. “This initiative will provide valuable training and associated resources that will assist officers as they respond and be a catalyst for supporting those in crisis—both of which will be of significant benefit.”

The funding, which was part of the omnibus appropriations bill, resulted from efforts by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who worked in tandem with Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) in support of the proposal. It will be used to support research and training on diverting individuals with mental health disorders from criminal justice contact and prepare officers to respond to mental health-related crises in Virginia.

These efforts will strengthen both law enforcement’s and the community’s mental health response capacity by 1) providing officers with Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and behavioral health training; 2) building a preventative, community-oriented co-responder model consisting of crisis clinicians and officers to better respond to mental health-related crisis; and 3) providing officers with well-being checkups to screen for potential mental health issues for early interventions.

“These additional tools come at a critical time as police departments and their partners struggle to keep their communities safe while also minimizing officer use of force in these situations,” Yang said. “A co-response team provides a more person-centered and trauma-informed approach to mental health-related incidents.”

Cynthia Lum, CEBCP director and University Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at Mason, emphasized that the effort will continue long-standing research partnerships that the CEBCP faculty have with Prince William County and Roanoke County police departments.

“These partnerships sharpen our research on effective public safety interventions for those in crisis and continue to showcase the practical impact that ��ӽ紫ý has in the commonwealth,” Lum said.

Criminology, Law and Society graduate students will be joining Yang’s research team and advancing their research skills.

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Podcast - EP29: Cynthia Lum: At the nexus of policing and society

Damian Cristodero — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:15:15 +0000

Podcast - EP29: Cynthia Lum: At the nexus of policing and society Damian Cristodero Wed, 07/28/2021 - 11:15

For Cynthia Lum, a professor of criminology, law, and society at ��ӽ紫ý, the realities of policing don’t always match what the public thinks of policing. That disconnect doesn’t allow a discussion about the most effective approaches to curbing use-of-force discrepancies. Lum, a former Baltimore City cop, tells Mason President Gregory Washington about how evidence-based policing is part of an overall strategy to fight crime that includes being respectful to the communities with which they work.

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Cynthia Lum, David Wilson honored as Fellows by The American Society of Criminology

John Hollis — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 20:49:31 +0000

Cynthia Lum, David Wilson honored as Fellows by The American Society of Criminology John Hollis Wed, 06/09/2021 - 16:49

Cynthia Lum. Photo by Creative Services

��ӽ紫ý’s Cynthia Lum and David B. Wilson were recently named Fellows by the American Society of Criminology, and will be officially honored at the organization’s annual meeting in Chicago in November.

ASC Fellows are recognized for their scholarly contributions to criminology and distinction in the discipline, according to the organization’s website. Examples of contributions may include innovations in public policy as well as enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion within the Society and the field of criminology. In addition, a Fellow must have made a significant contribution to the field through the career development of other criminologists and/or through organizational activities within the American Society of Criminology.

“I’m incredibly humbled and honored to be named a fellow of the American Society of Criminology, and especially to receive this recognition alongside my wonderful colleague Dave Wilson,” said Lum, who is the director of Mason’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy.

David B. Wilson. Photo by Creative Services

Lum and Wilson join David Weisburd and Stephen D. Mastrofski from Mason’s Department of Criminology, Law and Society as Fellows in the organization.

“Congratulations to Cynthia and Dave on this major accomplishment,” said James Willis, the department chair. “They make us proud. Our department now has four Fellows in the American Society of Criminology, which is remarkable and testament to its rise as a top-ranked department producing cutting-edge research and first-class undergraduate and graduate students.”

A former Baltimore City police officer, Lum is a leading authority on evidence-based policing, which advocates research, evaluation and scientific processes in law enforcement policymaking and practice. She has written extensively about patrol operations and police crime prevention activities, as well as police use of technology such as body cameras. In 2020, Lum received the Virginia State Council for Higher Education Outstanding Faculty Award.

Wilson's work focuses on advancing scientific knowledge on how to change offender behavior or prevent individuals from committing crimes to help minimize harm and advance justice.

Examples of programs that he has examined include juvenile curfews, restorative-justice and trauma-informed programs for delinquent youth, juvenile and adult drug courts, and police-worn body cameras. Much of his work applies the statistical methods of meta-analysis to synthesis evidence from rigorous social science research. Wilson is a recognized expert on these methods and has contributed to their advancement.

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Faculty and Staff News

Renewed Vision Series begins with conversation on policing reform

Colleen Rich — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 16:38:17 +0000

Renewed Vision Series begins with conversation on policing reform Colleen Rich Tue, 02/09/2021 - 11:38

This semester the Office of the Provost will renew the Mason Vision Series, a monthly forum to showcase exemplary real-world research and scholarship that takes place every day on ��ӽ紫ý campuses.

The series presents an opportunity for invited Mason faculty members to share the frontiers of their work in an accessible style that also inspires lively discussion among students, faculty, staff, and the wider reaches of the community. Under the initial leadership of former Mason provost Peter Stearns, the original program ran from Fall 2011 through Spring 2014 and featured speakers at in-person events on all three Mason campuses.

Provost Mark Ginsberg chose to renew the Mason Vision Series in an effort to feature crucial research by Mason faculty that is consequential and has an impact on life in our region, throughout the nation and across the world.

“The world rapidly is changing and our faculty are continuously on the forefront, leading the generation of knowledge and associated best practices that will impact millions of lives in a variety of areas,” Provost Mark Ginsberg said. “Some research that our faculty conducts, however, does not often get the attention of the public, yet their work is at the core of many critical issues facing our country. The purpose of the Mason Vision Series is to share information and expand a dialogue among the Mason community and others locally, nationally and internationally.”

The Spring 2021 Semester kickoff event will be held on Monday, Feb. 22, and features Cynthia Lum, professor of criminology, law and society and director of the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, who will address “A Vision for American Policing Reform.” In her presentation, Lum will discuss her vision for reinventing American policing. Reflecting on many contemporary law enforcement challenges, she will argue that re-envisioning policing will require police officers and leaders to take a more scientific and intellectual approach to match the complexities and demands of both the profession and the communities for which they are accountable.

“I’m honored to be given the opportunity to share ideas with the Mason community through the Mason Vision Series,” said Lum. “Policing reform is an issue that has impacted the nation for decades and will continue to do so in the future. How we approach reform today will shape how police agencies view their roles, mandates, and relationships with the communities they serve.”

The Mason Vision Series will be live-streamed through GMU-TV at 7 p.m. Feb. 22. Individuals will have the opportunity to participate and engage in the discussion by submitting questions via email (GMUProv@gmu.edu) or Twitter by using #VisionSeriesMason. To RSVP, click here.

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Mason’s Cynthia Lum honored with 2020 Outstanding Faculty Award

John Hollis — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 18:00:00 +0000

Mason’s Cynthia Lum honored with 2020 Outstanding Faculty Award John Hollis Wed, 03/11/2020 - 14:00

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Mason researchers lead comprehensive look at ways to combat gun violence

John Hollis — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Mason researchers lead comprehensive look at ways to combat gun violence John Hollis Wed, 03/11/2020 - 05:00

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