David M. Kennedy (author)
Encyclopedia
David M. Kennedy is a criminologist, professor, and author, specializing in crime prevention
among inner city
gangs.
, interviewed on National Public Radio and 60 Minutes
, and his book has been reviewed in The New Republic
. He is the author of a previous book, Deterrence and Crime Prevention: Reconsidering the Prospect of Sanction, published in 2008 by Routledge
(ISBN 978-0203892022). This book has been characterized as a "page-turner" despite being an essentially academic publication. He is a professor of criminal justice, and the director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control, at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
in New York City
. He is the recipient of two Webber Seavey awards from the International Association of Chiefs of Police
, two Innovations in American Government awards from the Kennedy School of Government, and a Herman Goldstein Problem-Oriented Policing Award. He has influenced the approaches to drug enforcement of the administrations of presidents Bill Clinton
and George W. Bush
. He has spoken to many organizations, including the United States Congress
, Scotland Yard
, the National District Attorneys' Association, and the United States Conference of Mayors
.
to combat drug and gang related violence in poor, predominantly black neighborhoods. The program had three components. Recognized gang members would be brought in under probation or parole authority, and given an opportunity to listen to concerned members of their own community express their desire for the violence to stop. Social workers would offer services to help them detach from the cycle of violence, and the police would assure them that each gang that continued to engage in violence, starting with the most violent, would be effectively targeted and removed from the streets. They were asked to relay this threefold message to their fellow gang members. The program resulted in a dramatic reduction in violence, and cooperation between gang members and police, where they would report to the police on new, aggressive gangs, and ride with officers to help identify members.
Broken windows theory, which Kennedy has critiqued as effective at crime reduction, but alienating to the communities targeted by it.
Crime prevention
Crime prevention is the attempt to reduce victimization and to deter crime and criminals. It is applied specifically to efforts made by governments to reduce crime, enforce the law, and maintain criminal justice.-Studies:...
among inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
gangs.
Biography
Kennedy is the author of Don't Shoot: One Man, A Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America, published in 2011 by Bloomsbury USA (ISBN 978-1608192649). He has been profiled in New YorkerNew Yorker
New Yorker may refer to:* A resident of New York City * A resident of New York state * The New Yorker, a magazine* A predecessor newspaper to Horace Greeley's New York Tribune...
, interviewed on National Public Radio and 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, and his book has been reviewed in The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
. He is the author of a previous book, Deterrence and Crime Prevention: Reconsidering the Prospect of Sanction, published in 2008 by Routledge
Routledge
Routledge is a British publishing house which has operated under a succession of company names and latterly as an academic imprint. Its origins may be traced back to the 19th-century London bookseller George Routledge...
(ISBN 978-0203892022). This book has been characterized as a "page-turner" despite being an essentially academic publication. He is a professor of criminal justice, and the director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control, at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
The John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a senior college of the City University of New York in Midtown Manhattan, New York City and is the only liberal arts college with a criminal justice and forensic focus in the United States. The college offers programs in Forensic Science and Forensic...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He is the recipient of two Webber Seavey awards from the International Association of Chiefs of Police
International Association of Chiefs of Police
The International Association of Chiefs of Police was founded in Chicago in 1893 as the National Chiefs of Police Union. The primary goal of this organization was to apprehend and return criminals who had fled the agency jurisdictions in which they were wanted...
, two Innovations in American Government awards from the Kennedy School of Government, and a Herman Goldstein Problem-Oriented Policing Award. He has influenced the approaches to drug enforcement of the administrations of presidents Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. He has spoken to many organizations, including the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
, the National District Attorneys' Association, and the United States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors, sometimes referred to as the United States Council of Mayors, is the official non-partisan organization for cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayor or other chief elected official...
.
Don't Shoot
Kennedy describes a program, sometimes referred to as Ceasefire, which he introduced in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
to combat drug and gang related violence in poor, predominantly black neighborhoods. The program had three components. Recognized gang members would be brought in under probation or parole authority, and given an opportunity to listen to concerned members of their own community express their desire for the violence to stop. Social workers would offer services to help them detach from the cycle of violence, and the police would assure them that each gang that continued to engage in violence, starting with the most violent, would be effectively targeted and removed from the streets. They were asked to relay this threefold message to their fellow gang members. The program resulted in a dramatic reduction in violence, and cooperation between gang members and police, where they would report to the police on new, aggressive gangs, and ride with officers to help identify members.
See also
Operation CeasefireOperation Ceasefire
Operation Ceasefire is a youth gun violence intervention strategy, first implemented in 1996 in Boston.-Boston:...
Broken windows theory, which Kennedy has critiqued as effective at crime reduction, but alienating to the communities targeted by it.