Independent Research Platform
Policing
Research
Independent research and evaluation to strengthen safety, accountability, and decision-making.
Directed by John DeCarlo, Ph.D.
Our Mission
Methodologically Rigorous.
Policy-Relevant.
Policing Research provides empirical analysis, evidence synthesis, and applied evaluation for agencies, policymakers, researchers, attorneys, and foundations. All work is grounded in transparent methods, peer-reviewed scholarship, and real-world operational experience.
Research Areas
Focus Areas
Use of Force & Decision-Making
Empirical analysis of officer decision-making under threat, including experimental research on contagion shooting.
Police Training & Evaluation
Evidence-based assessment of training methodologies and their impact on operational outcomes.
Neuroscience of Policing
fNIRS research imaging the prefrontal cortex of officers during shooting decisions under threat.
Eyewitness Identification
Research on the reliability and reform of eyewitness identification procedures in criminal investigations.
Organizational Accountability
Analysis of institutional structures, oversight mechanisms, and accountability frameworks in policing.
Selected Work
Featured Research
Contagion Shooting: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Peer-Reviewed Journal
The first empirical test of the contagious fire thesis using a randomized controlled trial, quantifying and explaining the phenomenon.
Police Training and Education: Past, Present, and Future
Book Publication
A comprehensive examination of the evolution of police training methodologies and their alignment with evidence-based practices.
fNIRS Imaging of Officer Decision-Making Under Threat
NSF Grant Proposal
Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy to image the prefrontal cortex of police officers making shooting decisions while under threat.
Leadership
John DeCarlo, Ph.D.
Full Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven and retired chief of police with experience spanning research, practice, and policy. Founder of the Center for Policing, Innovation, and Research.
Director of the Master's Program in Criminal Justice at UNH. Research interests include use of force, police decision-making, neuroscience applications in policing, and organizational accountability.
Research Partnerships & Inquiries
Policing Research responds to inquiries related to research partnerships, grant collaboration, expert consultation, policy analysis, and media inquiries.