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Criminology

‘Re-fund the police’? Why it might not reduce crime

‘Re-fund the police’? Why it might not reduce crime

Research by Aaron Chalfin of the School of Arts & Sciences found that 54% of the time, hiring more police officers accompanied a drop in homicides. However, increased hires are also linked to more arrests for low-level offenses and more costs to cities due to increased police violence, legal settlements, and protests.

America can’t fix policing without fixing the country’s gun problem

America can’t fix policing without fixing the country’s gun problem

Aaron Chalfin of the School of Arts & Sciences said the heavy reliance on police in the U.S. is the result of a failure to address the root causes of crime and violence. “The police are the residual claimants on all the stuff that no one else is willing or able to deal with,” he said. “We put them in that position.”

The role of progressive prosecutors in the criminal justice reform movement
A close up to the an ornamental scale in an office with law books on shelves behind it.

The role of progressive prosecutors in the criminal justice reform movement

Using Philadelphia as a microcosm, a new law course will analyze the emerging trend of progressive prosecutors’ offices and discuss how their strategies fit into a larger movement for criminal justice reform.

From Penn Carey Law

Murders are spiking. Police should be part of the solution

Murders are spiking. Police should be part of the solution

Aaron Chalfin of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the need for a nuanced evaluation of police work. “The idea that we can reduce the violence we’ve been seeing without any use of the police is not evidence-based; it’s an aspiration, and it’s a high-risk idea,” he said. “A balanced portfolio feels like the lowest-risk strategy to me.”

The story of immigration enforcement
paperwork for citizenship and immigration with U.S. flag

The story of immigration enforcement

In an award-winning paper, criminologist Aaron Chalfin examines the public safety implications of labor market-based immigration enforcement.

From Omnia

COVID-19, protests, and crime
Three police cars with sirens flashing are seen in a line from behind police crime tape at night

How did the COVID-19 pandemic and last summer’s racial justice protests affected America’s crime rate? Two undergrads worked with Law professor David Abrams to find out.

COVID-19, protests, and crime

During a summer internship with the Law School’s David Abrams, rising sophomores Caroline Li and David Feng looked at how the COVID-19 pandemic and last summer’s racial justice protests affected America’s crime rate. 

Kristen de Groot

Biden’s honeymoon is over, and he knows it

Biden’s honeymoon is over, and he knows it

Aaron Chalfin of the School of Arts & Sciences said it would be risky for Democrats to engage in a debate over crime, as the recent uptick in violence “has reversed 20 years of progress in just 18 short months.” He said that although it “has little to do with Democratic political priorities at the national level, it seems likely that the Democrats will be held to account given the rhetoric around ‘Defund’ that is associated with the left wing of the party.”

Philadelphia home repair grants linked to decreased neighborhood crime, Penn study finds

Philadelphia home repair grants linked to decreased neighborhood crime, Penn study finds

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, School of Arts & Sciences, and Stuart Weitzman School of Design found that the crime rate on a given block was reduced by nearly 22% when the city of Philadelphia funded repairs for even a single house. “The social fabric of a neighborhood is very connected to the physical environment,” said the medical school’s Eugenia South.