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John Jay College Tapped to Support NYC Crime Reduction Initiatives

The Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College recently launched a large, new body of work for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ). With $18 Million in total funding, the Center (JohnJayREC) is supporting MOCJ in two initiatives focused on the safety and well-being of New York City neighborhoods.

Crime rates have fallen dramatically in many areas of New York in recent years, but some neighborhoods remain beset by violence, especially gun violence. City officials are investing significant resources in these neighborhoods to elevate public safety throughout the City. The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice plays a leadership role in creating and sustaining criminal justice policies that protect City residents. The Office turned to John Jay College for strategic guidance and research support for two high-profile initiatives.

Jeff Butts
 

“We are excited and honored to be working on these important and large-scale projects for City Hall and MOCJ,” said Dr. Jeffrey Butts, director of JohnJayREC and Principal Investigator for the projects. “New York City is already a national leader in developing and sustaining effective strategies for reducing crime and violence, and these ambitious new programs may demonstrate even more ways to improve neighborhood safety for the City’s families.”

JohnJayREC is assisting MOCJ with the implementation and evaluation of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP), a comprehensive Mayoral initiative designed to make neighborhoods safer in and around 15 public housing developments operated by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). MAP enhances coordination between the New York City Police Department, NYCHA, other City service agencies and public housing residents. The initiative deploys a wide range of approaches, including direct services, improvements to physical structures, and the mobilization and activation of social networks. Researchers at JohnJayREC are supporting MOCJ in formulating some of the implementation strategies used in MAP and they are helping to coordinate the efforts of various other partners. In addition, JohnJayREC will be evaluating the outcomes and overall impact of the MAP initiative in New York. Final results of the study will be available in 2019, but interim products will be released throughout the effort.

JohnJayREC staff members are also helping MOCJ to carry out an evaluation of New York City’s Project Fast Track, a Mayoral initiative that is designed to drive down levels of gun violence through a targeted, system-wide focus on individuals involved in firearm violence. Researchers from John Jay are measuring the implementation of the strategy and analyzing its effects on policing, court operations and overall community safety.

The John Jay College Research and Evaluation Center  is an applied research organization that provides members of the academic community at John Jay College with opportunities to respond to the research needs of justice practitioners in New York City, New York State, and the nation.  The JohnJayREC provides direct assistance to agencies in the justice system, designs and carries out studies of innovative strategies to prevent and reduce crime, and works to improve the effectiveness of interventions at the individual and community level.