Former Attorney General Janet Reno and Philadelphia Police Commissioner John F. Timoney were both on hand to receive awards at the dedication of the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology Oct. 15. The ceremony recognized both Reno’s and Timoney’s work in research-based crime prevention.

Founded last year with an initial $5 million gift from the Jerry Lee Foundation, the center has undertaken projects such as a $3.5 million contract with the English government to introduce and test “restorative justice” for serious adult offenses in London, Oxfordshire and the Newcastle area.

In light of the Sept. 11 attacks, center Director Lawrence Shermanexplained that the center will now look into terrorism prevention and ways law enforcement agencies worldwide can share information about suspected terrorist activity. Sherman is a noted scholar on crime prevention methods.

In addition to its research program, the center offers a multi- disciplinary Ph.D in criminology with faculty from seven different schools and an undergraduate course in Penn’s Department of Sociology.