NIJ LEADS scholars program promotes evidence-based policing practices
LEADS Has Supported Law Enforcement Research Efforts Since 2014
For the past decade, the NIJ Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science Scholars Program has built a community of research-minded police professionals committed to promoting evidence-based practices in policing.
Established in 2014, the LEADS Scholars Program was initially a travel scholarship for sworn, mid-rank officers to attend the annual conference hosted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Since then, LEADS has evolved into a three-year program where NIJ and its partners provide support for criminal justice research projects.
With the backing of NIJ, LEADS Scholars have gone on to publish research in scientific journals and launch nationwide evidence-based policing initiatives.
“It’s all about advancing evidence-based policing by supporting the connection and development of research-minded law enforcement professionals,” said Steve Schuetz, an NIJ senior scientist who has overseen the LEADS program since 2019.
Today, there are over 115 LEADS Scholars in the network, which includes law enforcement officers, policing professionals and early career academics throughout the United States.
Agencies represented in the network range from some of the largest in the country, such as the New York City Police Department, to smaller agencies like the Milford Police Department in Delaware and everything in between.
The Beginning of LEADS
The concept for LEADS was first discussed at the 2012 IACP conference, according to Maureen "Mo" McGough, a former NIJ policy advisor.
That year, Renee Mitchell, a sergeant with the Sacramento Police Department, won a research award for her study of hot spots policing in her jurisdiction.
Impressed by Mitchell’s work, McGough and criminologist Dr. Geoffrey Alpert thought there must be more people like her out there, more law enforcement officers with an interest in pursuing evidence-based policing practices.
From there, McGough pitched the idea to NIJ Director Greg Ridgeway and worked with IACP Research Director John Firman to plan the program.
In 2014, NIJ selected nine law enforcement officers to be the first cohort of LEADS Scholars and sent them to the IACP Conference in Orlando.
“The idea was to target those forward leaning, mid-career officers that probably wouldn’t have an opportunity to go to something like the IACP conference, to expose them to research,” Schuetz said of the start of LEADS.
LEADS Adds New Programs
LEADS would start to expand in the following years as NIJ Directors recognized the importance of the program and invested more resources into it, McGough said.
In 2017, criminologists Dr. Geoffrey Alpert and Dr. Gary Cordner joined the LEADS Program as Chief Research Advisors, supporting scholars in designing and implementing research projects.
NIJ also launched the LEADS Agencies program in 2017 with nine pilot sites. However, the program was eventually phased out since the LEADS model was more effective with individuals.
In 2018, NIJ released a criminal justice requirements and resource consortium solicitation to bolster the resources available to LEADS Scholars.
Through this funding, the RAND Corporation and IACP were brought in to support LEADS starting in 2019. RAND became the central hub for LEADS Scholars providing technical assistance and travel support while IACP provided professional development.
Additionally, NIJ launched the LEADS Academics and Civilians programs in 2019 to complement the Scholars program.
The academics program advanced practitioner-led research by promoting sustainable researcher/practitioner partnerships. The civilians program offered a unique opportunity for law enforcement civilians to partner with current LEADS Scholars and alumni to use data-driven strategies to advance their agency’s mission.
Each year, the goal is to recommend 10 sworn law enforcement officers and three civilians for participation in the LEADS program. On a every other year basis, three early career academics are nominated for participation in addition to the normal 13 in LEADS, according to Schuetz.
In 2024, the National Policing Institute was awarded funding to guide the LEADS program, replacing RAND and IACP in providing education, training and professional development opportunities for LEADS Scholars.
Looking back on the impact of LEADS since 2014, McGough credits the talented individuals who have become scholars, as well as support of NIJ leadership, for the success of the program.
“LEADS grew because we found some of the best police practitioners in the country,” she said.
LEADS Impact on the Field
LEADS is a group of police professionals who understand the value and implementation of research in law enforcement. By participating in the LEADS program, academics, civilians and law enforcement scholars join a professional network of like-minded individuals where they can find colleagues to support or contribute to advancing evidence-based policing practices and policies.
Over the past decade, LEADS Scholars have led the development of national policing programs and initiatives, including:
Born out of NIJ’s Research Summit on Women in Policing and now funded by BJA, the 30x30 initiative was launched in 2021 with the intention of improving public safety by helping local law enforcement agencies recruit and retain more women.
LEADS Scholar Ivonne Roman first proposed the 30x30 concept in 2018. She recognized that women were under-represented in U.S. policing and highlighted how this could lead to dire implications for public safety.
The 54th Mile Policing Project – also funded by BJA – stems from LEADS Scholars Tarrick McGuire, Shon Barnes and Obed Magny recreating the historic 54-mile civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 2020.
The 54th Mile Project supports law enforcement connect with minority communities in their jurisdiction, enhancing trust and perceptions of fairness within those communities.
The American Society of Evidence-Based Policing – a non-profit organization dedicated to developing evidence-based policing – was formed in 2015 by a group of police professionals and academics who met through the LEADS Program. Today, the society’s executive board is largely comprised of LEADS Scholars.
The impact of LEADS over the past 10 years stretches beyond borders. Law enforcement leaders from other countries have also taken notice. Programs like LEADS have been explored in Canada and Australia.
