About Policing Research
About
An independent research and evaluation platform focused on empirical analysis, policy impact, and institutional accountability in policing.
Mission & Approach
Independent.
Methodologically
Rigorous.
Policing Research produces empirical research, applied reports, and expert analysis designed to inform agencies, policymakers, courts, researchers, and foundations. Work integrates peer-reviewed scholarship with operational experience and transparent methodological standards.
All research and analysis are conducted independently, without institutional or partisan affiliation. The platform is committed to advancing evidence-based practice in policing through rigorous empirical methods and transparent reporting.
Director
John DeCarlo, Ph.D.
John DeCarlo is a Full Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven and a retired chief of police in Connecticut with 34 years of policing experience. Since 2006 he has been in higher education. He received his Ph.D. from the City University of New York Graduate Center in 2010 and has taught at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the University of New Haven.
He is the founder of the Center for Advanced Policing (now the Center for Policing, Innovation, and Research) and currently directs the Master's Program in Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven — the online portion of which has been ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report for two consecutive years.
Dr. DeCarlo has authored 11 books and numerous peer-reviewed articles in criminology, criminal justice, and policing. His 2024 publication in the Journal of Criminal Justice reported the first empirical test of the contagious fire thesis using a randomized controlled trial, quantifying the phenomenon and offering an explanatory framework.
Credentials
Background & Qualifications
Education
- Ph.D., Criminal Justice — CUNY Graduate Center
- M.Phil., Criminal Justice — CUNY Graduate Center
- M.A., Criminal Justice — CUNY John Jay College (with distinction)
- M.S., Criminal Justice Administration — Tiffin University (Magna cum Laude)
- B.S., General Studies — Charter Oak State College (Summa cum Laude)
Academic Positions
- Full Professor, University of New Haven (2021–present)
- Director, M.S. in Criminal Justice Program (2020–present)
- Founder & Director, Center for Advanced Policing / Center for Policing, Innovation, and Research
- Former Department Chair, Criminal Justice (2017–2020)
- Former Associate Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Law Enforcement Career
- Chief of Police, Branford Police Department (2005–2011)
- Deputy Chief of Police, Branford PD (2002–2005)
- 34 years in policing — patrol, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, deputy chief, chief
- Police Consultant, Consent Decree Division, U.S. DOJ (2015–2018)
Scholarly Output
- 11 published books in policing and criminal justice
- 11 peer-reviewed journal articles
- 6 technical reports for federal agencies and governments
- 3 encyclopedia entries (Oxford, Greenwood)
- Over $3.5 million in grant funding as PI or Co-PI
Honors & Service
- #1 National Ranking, MS in Criminal Justice (US News, 2025 & 2026)
- Police Section Chair, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
- James Fyfe Research Fellowship, John Jay College
- Editorial Board: Journal of Crime and Justice, Justice Quarterly, Police Forum
- Grant reviewer, Bureau of Justice Assistance (2004–present)
Media & Public Engagement
- Over 1,000 national media appearances
- CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX, ABC, NPR, PBS, WNYC
- New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time, Scientific American
- Reuters, USA Today, Le Monde, Los Angeles Times, Atlantic Magazine