PODCAST · science
Profs on Cops
by Bill Gormley
Interviews with social scientists and criminologists who are doing cutting-edge research on police practices and behavior and how they affect the community.
Episodes
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Private Security Guards
Although there are approximately 1.3 million private security guards in the U.S., we know very little about who they are or how they work. Along comes Duke Law Professor Ben Grunwald, with a new empirical study of private security guards in Florida. In a nutshell, Grunwald finds that private...
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Can Nonprofits Reduce Violent Crime?
The answer, according to Patrick Sharkey, Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, is unequivocally yes! Sharkey's rigorous research shows that local nonprofits, including job-focused and drug-focused organizations, have significantly reduced violent crime in many U.S. communities. He…
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The Problem with Sheriffs
Unlike local police chiefs, local sheriffs are popularly elected. In theory, that makes them accountable to the voters. In practice, their accountability is quite limited. For example, the incumbency advantage of sitting sheriffs in local elections is enormous. Mirya Holman, Professor of Public...
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Crime Prevention Strategies
In a new book, The Science of Second Chances, economist Jennifer Doleac puts criminal justice reform strategies under the microscope. Should prosecutors be lenient towards first offenders? Should probation ground-rules be strict and strictly enforced? Should persons convicted of a felony have…
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Can Police De-escalate Conflicts?
De-escalation training for police is not new, but it has received growing attention in recent years, as concerns over the use of force by police have surged. Until recently, little was known about the actual effects of de-escalation training. Robin Engel, Senior Scientist at the Ohio State...
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Clearance Rates for Violent Crimes
Homicide clearance rates, at 61 percent nationwide, are disappointing, and clearance rates for nonfatal gun shootings are even lower. Phillip Cook, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy and Economics at Duke University, offers explanations for relatively low clearance rates, including changes in...
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Policing in Colonial America
What did law enforcement look like in the days before the American Revolution? In Boston and other cities, "night watchmen" provided protection and useful information to citizens while others slept. Law enforcement became far less routine when 1,300 British soldiers arrived in Boston in 1768....
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Yellowstone's Zone of Death
Due to some legislative drafting quirks, our nation’s oldest national park features a 50-square-mile corridor where it is theoretically possible to commit a serious crime without being punished. This legal loophole played a role in C.J. Box’s heart-pounding murder mystery, Free-Fire,...
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False Confessions and How to End Them
False confessions are not just an interesting plot twist in police dramas; they are fairly common in real life. Teenagers are especially likely to make a false confession when interrogated by the police. Hayley Cleary, Professor of Criminology at Virginia Commonwealth University, explains the...
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Cybercrime and its Discontents
If your credit card or banking account has ever been compromised by cybercrime, you know that cybercrime is no laughing matter. What exactly is cybercrime? Who are the victims? The perpetrators? Most of us never report cybercrime to local law enforcement authorities. Is that a mistake? What is…
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Do Police Demographics Matter?
Does the nature of a citizen’s encounter with a policeofficer depend on whether that officer is Black or white, male or female, a Democrat or a Republican, experienced or inexperienced? Roman Rivera, an economist and criminologist at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, offers...
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The Arc of Violence: From Anger to Homicide
Professor Jens Ludwig of the University of Chicago has been studying gun violence for much of his adult life. He offers fresh insights into the subject in his new book, Unforgiving Places (University of Chicago Press, 2025). In a wide-ranging conversation, Ludwig argues that we need neighborhoods...
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Ghost Guns
What are “ghost guns” and why do law enforcement officials worry so much about these easily-assembled firearms? Dr. Garen Wintemute, Distinguished Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of California-Davis, offers a primer on the subject, which he has studied in depth. He distinguishes...
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A Behavioral Economics Approach to Police Training
At the urging of Oeindrila Dube and her colleagues, the Chicago Police Department has adopted a new police training program called Situational Decision-making (or Sit-D). This training regimen, which includes simulations and realistic videos, integrates principles of behavioral economics to…
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Should Schools Hire Cops?
Many school districts in the U.S. hire local police officers to make schools safer. Supporters say school resource officers (SROs) reduce crime through law enforcement and mentoring; critics say they transform petty crimes into school suspensions and arrests that disrupt student progress,...
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A Chicago Police Chief Who Loved Irish Music
A remarkable Irish-American, Francis O’Neill, rose up through the ranks of the Chicago police force in the late 19 th century to become the Chief of Police. He would later publish one of the finest collections of Irish folk music ever assembled, with 1,800 tunes that he and his “collectors” (many...
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Closed-Circuit TV Systems
Most local law enforcement agencies have their own closed-circuit TV systems, aimed at curbing crime and apprehending criminals. According to Eric Piza, Professor of Criminology at Northeastern University, who has studied this in Newark, N.J. and elsewhere, CCTV systems can reduce both violent...
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To Shoot or Not to Shoot?
When a serious crime is in progress, lethal force is sometimes necessary. But police officers often face big information deficits when trying to decide whether to shoot a suspect. David Klinger, Professor of Criminology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, has been there himself, as a police...
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Shrinking Police Forces
Since 2020, police forces in the U.S. have experienced a surge in resignations and retirements. Is this a problem? Why is it happening? Why should we care? Scott Mourtgos, recently retired as the Deputy Chief of Police in Salt Lake City and now Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal...
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Police Buildings: Do Looks Matter?
Some police department buildings strike observers as “welcoming,” while others seem intimidating or austere. Research by Georgetown University Assistant Professor of Public Policy Andrea Headley finds that a police department’s appearance matters, that more welcoming structures are associated…
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What It's Like to Be a Cop
In 2016, Georgetown University Law Professor Rosa Brooks joined the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department as a reserve officer. She served part-time from 2016 to 2020 and wrote a book about her experiences, Tangled Up in Blue. Find out why patrol officers avoid kitchens, why they discourage…
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Body-Worn Cameras
Body-worn cameras are now deployed by more than two-thirds of all police departments in the U.S. Patrol officers commonly use them, but increasingly detectives, meter maids, and even police dogs are being equipped with BWCs. Professor Michael White of Arizona State University testified on this...
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Policing China
Although China is an authoritarian regime, its local police officers are surprisingly weak. They have high caseloads and lots of paperwork to complete and do not carry guns. When political protests arise, however, China enlists the People’s Armed Police to suppress dissent, speedily and…
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The Danger Imperative
Prof. Michael Sierra-Arevalo of the University of Texas discusses the “danger imperative” that frames the daily activities of police officers throughout the U.S. Learn about a deeply-embedded fear of violence that shapes numerous decisions police officers make – whether to confront a group of…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Profs on Cops have?
Profs on Cops currently has 24 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Profs on Cops about?
Interviews with social scientists and criminologists who are doing cutting-edge research on police practices and behavior and how they affect the community.
How often does Profs on Cops release new episodes?
Profs on Cops has 24 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Profs on Cops?
You can listen to Profs on Cops on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Profs on Cops?
Profs on Cops is created and hosted by Bill Gormley.
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