New York, NY, June 3, 2016 – The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and John Jay College’s Institute for Innovation in Prosecution (IIP) hosted an event on June 3-4 that provided prosecutors and members of law enforcement from jurisdictions across the U.S. with the opportunity to learn more about the innovative public safety initiatives developed by the District Attorney’s Office. The Symposium on Intelligence-Driven Prosecution is the fourth event of this type hosted by District Attorney’s Office.
“Today, New York is one of the safest big cities in the U.S., but as criminals find new ways to thwart our efforts, law enforcement must continually adapt, innovate, and collaborate,” said District Attorney Vance. “I thank the prosecutors and members of other agencies, organizations, and jurisdictions across the U.S. who participated in our Symposium, allowing us to focus on the future of law enforcement and criminal justice, and enabling us to further develop 21st-century prosecutorial strategies and alliances to fight crime.”
Jeremy Travis, President of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said: “John Jay College is honored to partner with District Attorney Vance to host this timely meeting of prosecutors and law enforcement leaders to learn from each other about new and effective responses to crime. As an academic institution, we value these open exchanges of ideas.”
Meg Reiss, Executive Director of the IIP – a think tank designed to support the development the next generation of ideas and thought leaders in prosecution, said: “It was a privilege to co-host this event and bring together a wide-ranging group with a shared focus on promoting innovation in prosecution. We look forward to more collaborative opportunities to advance the principles of justice that drive the work in prosecutors’ offices around the country.”
David Kennedy, Director of the National Network for Safe Communities, said: “It’s enormously exciting to see the world of prosecution taking on these critical issues of effectiveness, legitimacy, consequences and unintended consequences, and the proper role and function of the prosecutor.”
Prosecutors and members of law enforcement from more than 80 agencies, organizations, and jurisdictions across the U.S. participated in the event, which featured presentations on public safety initiatives developed by specialized units of the District Attorney’s Office, including the Crime Strategies Unit and Community Partnerships Unit. The Symposium included in-depth discussion on topics such as the use of gathered intelligence to guide prosecution strategy, fostering community partnerships, supporting diversion and reentry programs and ways to increase law enforcement collaboration.
About John Jay College of Criminal Justice: An international leader in educating for justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York offers a rich liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to upwards of 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. In teaching, scholarship and research, the College approaches justice as an applied art and science in service to society and as an ongoing conversation about fundamental human desires for fairness, equality and the rule of law. For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu.
