LWOB 2025: Understanding Analytics and Evidence Based Practices to Improve Public Safety

Robin S. Engel, PhD, is Senior Research Scientist at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University and Senior Advisor for 21st Century Policing Solutions (21CP), following over 25 years of academic positions at the University of Cincinnati and Pennsylvania State University. From 2015 – 2019, she served as Vice President for Safety and Reform at the University of Cincinnati, overseeing public safety operations and implementing police reforms for the University of Cincinnati Police Division following a fatal officer-involved shooting. Other previous positions include Director of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)’s Center for Police Research and Policy, and Senior Vice President at the National Policing Institute. Dr. Engel has spent her career generating and testing evidence-based policing practices, supporting data-driven decision-making, transforming police agencies through reform efforts, and reducing gun violence. As an award-winning researcher, she has partnered with dozens of police agencies and communities, serving as Principal Investigator for over one hundred funded research projects totaling over $30M. She was nationally ranked among the top five academics in criminal justice/criminology based on publications in prestigious peer-reviewed academic journals and has authored over one hundred technical and expert reports for agency partners. She is the recipient of the 2022 O.W. Wilson Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Albany. Dr. Engel continues to research ways to promote academic-practitioner partnerships, improve officer safety and wellness, and reduce crime and violence in our most vulnerable communities.

Chris was Senior Advisor to the Assistant Attorney General at the Office of Justice Programs, in the United States Department of Justice, where he provided guidance on issues around policing, violent crime, and police reform. As Chief Strategy Officer at the Seattle Police Department, Chris was responsible for coordinating department initiatives, research and analytics, inter-governmental affairs, and strategic communications, for three Chiefs of Police. Prior to these roles, he was Senior Policy Advisor at the Council of State Governments Justice Center with a focus on law enforcement. Chris also worked throughout the New York City justice system, as Director of Analysis and Integrated Solutions in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, Director of Research at the New York City Police Department, and in similar capacities for other New York City criminal justice agencies, including the Department of Probation, the Administration for Children’s Services, and the former Department of Juvenile Justice. Chris holds a doctorate in criminal justice from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, a Master of Arts degree in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Virginia.

Brooke Flores is the Commander of the Strategic Analysis Bureau for the Prince William County Police. The Strategic Analysis Bureau encompasses Information Technology, Crime Intelligence, Data Scientist’s, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Additionally, she is a certified Police Diver and a member of the Underwater Search and Recovery Team. Prior to this role Flores was the departments Technical Project Manager. She is dedicated to translating the Department’s goals into actionable results and has been a valued member of the force since 2017. Before making the jump to Public Safety Flores worked for the Department of Information Technology for Prince William County. Flores is a graduate of the Senior Management Institution, Police Executive Research forum Session 92. She holds a bachelor’s in information management from ECPI University.

Anita Ravishankar is a principal researcher in the Justice and Safety Division at the Urban Institute, where she leads research and technical assistance efforts on policing and community safety. She is interested in policing and technological advancement (including use of artificial intelligence and social media), police performance management and supervision, and both law enforcement– and community-led approaches to violence reduction. Before joining Urban, Ravishankar directed criminal justice research investments at Arnold Ventures, where she oversaw research strategies on police accountability, traffic enforcement, alternatives to crisis response, and violence reduction. She managed a portfolio of $30 million in active projects and developed $15 to $20 million in additional investments annually. Previously, as a founding member of The Lab @ DC and the research and innovation team within the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Ravishankar led multiple public safety research and evaluation projects, including randomized evaluations of the efficacy of police body-worn cameras (published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) and the introduction of a novel cultural training program at MPD. She also designed and executed innovative efforts to promote police and community engagement, including a multipart virtual workshop series on reimagining police stops in the District. Ravishankar holds a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, and international affairs from Georgetown University and a doctoral degree in political science and public policy from the University of Michigan.