John Jay is in a unique position to convene conversations and reimagine solutions related to justice and public safety. As a majority-minority institution, we reflect the diversity of voices of minority communities that need to be heard. We educate the future leaders for justice, safety, and peace - whether they go on to run advocacy campaigns, wear a uniform, serve their communities, conduct research to evaluate policy or uncover bias, or all of these.
By coming together with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) in our Future of Public Safety Series, we sought not just to understand what ails policing and public safety, but to chart a path forward for safe communities. Through a series of honest, open conversations with community activists, police chiefs, business leaders, policymakers, public health professionals, and educators, we created a roadmap for communities across the nation to implement and move toward a new model of public safety that is equitable for all.
With input from these diverse voices, we present a report which we hope will break the binary that characterizes so much of the national conversation on public safety: “us vs. them;” “‘law and order’ vs. Black Lives Matter.” (Read the press release.) We started this project, in large part, to unearth and highlight our considerable areas of agreement, but our work did not stop with the six public conversations we hosted during this series. The work did not stop with the publication of our final report, either. In fact, we see today’s report as a starting point. We now need to work with communities across the country to implement these solutions.
Series of Conversations: September 10-October 10, 2020
This fall, September 10-October 1, 2020, John Jay College and NOBLE partnered to convene a series of six livestreamed conversations to reimagine the future of public safety and redefine the role of policing in America today. These sessions culminated in the release of the public report linked above.
Watch any of the discussions on our YouTube pages.
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Karol Mason
C.J. Davis
Keisha Lance-Bottoms
DeAnna Hoskins
Danielle Outlaw
Medaria Arradondo
Wes Moore
James Cadogan
Sean Smoot
Erica Ford
Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Chris Magnus
Pastor Mike McBride
Daryl Atkinson
Arthur Rizer
Matthew Horace
Ron DeLord
Eric Gonzalez
Reneé Hall
David Muhammad
Dr. Leana Wen
David M. Kennedy
Candice C. Jones
Tanya Coke
Lenore Anderson
Nadine Gracia
Thomas A. LaVeist
Cassandra Crifasi
Marc A. Zimmerman
Howard Spivak
Louis Dekmar
Michael S. Harrison
Merisa Heu-Weller
Celia Oullette
Jenny Durkan
Phillipe Cunningham
Michael Blake
David Mahoney
Scott Thomson
Markasa Tucker
Kick-Off Session
September 10 @ 4pm ET
Recent events have sparked a broad national reckoning around long-standing issues related to race, public safety, and policing in America. How did we get here, and how do we make sure diverse voices are included in finding solutions?
Speakers include:
President Karol Mason
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
C.J. Davis
Immediate past President of NOBLE and Durham Chief of Police
Keisha Lance-Bottoms
Atlanta Mayor
DeAnna Hoskins
JustLeadershipUSA President & CEO
Danielle Outlaw
Philadelphia Police Commissioner
Medaria Arradondo
Minneapolis Chief of Police
Wes Moore
Robin Hood Foundation CEO
Sean Smoot
Director of the Police Benevolent and Protective Association of Illinois
Erica Ford
Founder of LIFE Camp
Defining Public Safety
September 15 @ 4pm ET
Activists and advocates across sectors, ideologies, and movements have called for a range of solutions. How should we define “public safety” in 21st Century America, and what does that mean for policing?
Speakers include:
Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Activist and Organizer
Chris Magnus
Tucson Chief of Police
Pastor Mike McBride
of The Way Christian Center
Daryl Atkinson
Forward Justice Co-Director
Arthur Rizer
R Street Director
Matthew Horace
Mayo Clinic Chief Security Officer
Ron DeLord
Police & Fire Labor Relations Consultant and Attorney at Law
Public Safety Beyond the Police Station
September 17 @ 4pm ET
What is the role of police and other community actors and public servants in creating safe communities? What is the role of police and other community actors in responding to specific community challenges such as youth violence, substance abuse, and homelessness?
Speakers include:
Eric Gonzalez
Brooklyn District Attorney
David Muhammad
National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform Executive Director
Dr. Leana Wen
former Health Commissioner for the City of Baltimore and former president of Planned Parenthood
David M. Kennedy
Director, National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Candice Jones
Public Welfare Foundation President & CEO
Public Health and Welfare
September 22 @ 4pm ET
What does rethinking public safety mean for public health? This session will bring together public health professionals for a discussion about what public safety means in terms of mental health and social welfare.
Speakers include:
Nadine Gracia
Trust for America's Health Vice President & COO
Cassandra Crifasi
Center for Gun Policy and Research at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Deputy Director
Marc Zimmerman
Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center at the University of Michigan School of Public Health Director
Howard Spivak
National Institute of Justice former Deputy Director
Thomas LaVeist
Tulane University Weatherhead Presidential Chair in Health Equity
Investing in Safer Communities
September 24 @ 4pm ET
What investments are needed in order to build safe and thriving communities? What does this mean for the future of policing?
Speakers include:
Daryl Atkinson
Forward Justice co-director
Celia Oullette
Responsible Business Initiative for Justice Founder & CEO
Michael Harrison
Baltimore Police Commissioner
Merisa Heu-Weller
Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative Director
Louis Dekmar
former International Association of Chiefs of Police President and LaGrange Chief of Police
Tanya Coke
Director, Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice at the Ford Foundation
Recruiting, Skills, and Training
October 1 @ 4pm ET
Who should we be recruiting to serve as police officers in this new paradigm? What skills/personality traits/values should they have? How do we equip law enforcement for this newly defined role?
Speakers include:
Phillipe Cunningham
Minneapolis City Councilmember
Markasa Tucker
Director of the African American Roundtable at Wisconsin Voices
Michael Blake
New York Assemblyman
David Mahoney
National Sheriffs' Association President and Dane County, WI Sheriff
Scott Thomson
former Camden County Police Commissioner
Lenore Anderson
Founder and President, Californians for Safety and Justice