USC Criminology & CJ

Congratulations to Assistant Professor Brent R. Klein, PhD, whose proposal entitled "Testing the Threat Appraisal Mechanism: A National Study of How Perceived Danger Becomes Aggression" was selected for seed funding in the Provost's Research Competition 2025-2026! 🎉

Congratulations to Research Assistant Professor Veronica Gonzalez on her new article in Feminist Criminology entitled "The Unascended Pyramid the Limits of State Response to IPV in Rural Michoacán."

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Just one more sentence: challenges in identifying nonfatal strangulation in rape reports Purpose. This paper aims to address two key challenges in identifying nonfatal strangulation in rape reports: (1) siloed research, which has largely focused on lethal strangulation in sexual homicides...

Congrats to Assistant Professors Hunter Boehme & Scott M. Mourtgos Mourtgos, & colleagues Brandon Tregle & Joshua McCrain on their new publication in the Journal of Criminal Justice entitled "Police staffing shortages, public awareness, and policy preferences."

www.emerald.com/pijpsm/artic...

Congratulations to our Associate Professor, Dr. Kait Boyle, for being selected as a 2026 McCausland Faculty Fellow!

The promise of VOICE reactance-mitigating linguistic training for law enforcement: results from a pilot randomized controlled trial Police agencies are considering various de-escalation curricula and training to aid in safer outcomes for both officers and civilians. Psychological reactance, a defensive response triggered when i...

Congrats to Assistant Professor Hunter Boehme and his colleagues on their new publication in Police Practice and Research:

"The promise of VOICE reactance linguistic training for law enforcement: Results from a pilot randomized controlled trial."

doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2026.2619665

Hot Spots Policing: Effectiveness vs. Stigma This is an overview based on the article, "Public Perceptions of Hot Spots Policing: How Crime Reduction Stats and Stigma Narratives Affect Public Perceptions" (https://doi.org/10.21428/cb6ab371.99927be8 ). We create these "Crimversations" with the AI tool Google NotebookLM. While we strive for accuracy, an overview may not perfectly reflect the original article, a limitation common to both AI-generated and human-led podcasts. For definitive information, please refer directly to the article. Stay tuned for the launch of our new sites, https://crimconsortium.com and https://crimhub.com. Does high-visibility policing actually reduce crime, and more importantly, does the public support it? A new study published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice explores how "framing"—the way police strategies are presented to the public—can dramatically shift opinion. [About the Study] In this video, we break down "Public Perceptions of Hot Spots Policing" by researchers Brandon Tregle, Hunter Boehme, and colleagues. Using a large survey experiment of over 2,400 respondents, the study tests whether showing people quantitative crime reduction data increases support for police patrols, compared to narratives about community stigma,. [Key Takeaways We Cover] • What is Hot Spots Policing? We explain the "deterrence-based" strategy where officers sit in high-crime areas with lights on for ~15 minutes to prevent crime rather than make arrests,. • The "Effectiveness" Frame: The study found that showing people clear evidence of crime reduction significantly increased positive attitudes toward the strategy. In fact, the "effectiveness" message increased support by nearly 15% compared to the control group. • The "Stigma" Frame: Does talking about over-policing hurt support? The study found that stigma narratives produced "null results" on overall support but did increase concerns that the strategy would erode trust in the police,. • Demographic Differences: How non-white respondents and recent crime victims reacted differently to these messages. • Policy Implications: Why agencies must pair crime stats with an acknowledgment of stigma to maintain community legitimacy,. [Reference] Tregle, B., Boehme, H. M., Mascari, G., & Smith, K. (2026). Public Perceptions of Hot Spots Policing: How Crime Reduction Stats and Stigma Narratives Affect Public Perceptions. American Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-025-09892-x #Criminology #Policing #CriminalJustice #HotSpotsPolicing #PoliceReform #Sociology #PublicSafety

Hot Spots Policing: Effectiveness vs. Stigma

Here is a summary of new research in Criminology on sanctuary policies and female homicide rates from faculty and students in our department.

Congratulations, Dr. Applegate, on receiving the Academy Fellow Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences!

Congrats to Professor Wendy Regoeczi, Ph.D., MPH on her new publication in Policing: An International Journal:

"Just one more sentence: Challenges in identifying nonfatal strangulation in rape reports."

www.emerald.com/pijpsm/artic...

Recalibrating the risk of false confession wrongful convictions: Interrogation tactics and inverse probability False confession wrongful convictions (FCWCs) are a serious failure of the criminal justice system. Although scholars have identified interrogation ta…

Another one for Assistant Professors Scott M. Mourtgos and Ian T. Adams! "Recalibrating the risk of false confession wrongful convictions: Interrogation tactics and inverse probability" in the Journal of Criminal Justice.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Public Perceptions of Hot Spots Policing: How Crime Reduction Stats and Stigma Narratives Affect Public Perceptions - American Journal of Criminal Justice A robust body of evidence indicates that hot spots policing is effective at reducing crime. However, relatively few studies have examined citizens’ views of the strategy, and the limited findings that...

Congrats to EPPS Director of Research Brandon Tregle, Assistant Professor Hunter Boehme, & grad students Gabrielle Mascari & Kaley Smith on their new publication in the American Journal of Criminal Justice:

link.springer.com/article/10.1....

Probabilities Over p-Values: A Decision Framework for Evidence-Based Policing Null-hypothesis significance testing (NHST) continues to dominate policing research, yet binary p-value thresholds offer little guidance for decision-makers navigating operational, fiscal, and poli...

Congrats to Assistant Professor Scott M. Mourtgos on his solo-authored publication in the Justice Evaluation Journal entitled "Probabilities Over p-values: A Decision Framework for Evidence-Based Policing."

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

What Federal Immigration Enforcement Is Doing Isn’t Policing—and It Isn’t Normal | Maureen "Mo" McGough What federal immigration enforcement authorities are doing isn’t policing. It isn’t normal. And history suggests these actions are the hallmarks of authoritarianism. Honored to join Seth Stoughto...

A timely op-ed written by several of our faculty members & affiliates: Dr. Ian Adams, Dr. Geoff Alpert, and Seth Stoughton, along with colleagues.

lnkd.in/ez9xSChY

Exciting news! Frank DiRienzo, a PhD student at the University of Cincinnati, will be starting as an Assistant Professor in August.

Frank’s work examines how individuals and their social environments interact over time, with a focus on victimization, offending, and health outcomes.

Congratulations to doctoral student @h-noh.bsky.social Hyeseon Noh & Assoc Prof John Burrow on their new publication with Dr. Soojung Lee:

"Assessing judicial responses of judges to stalking in South Korea: A focal concerns perspective."

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Congratulations to doctoral student @h-noh.bsky.social Hyeseon Noh and Associate Professor John Burrow on their new publication with Dr. Soojung Lee in the Journal of Criminal Justice:

"Assessing judicial responses of judges to stalking in South Korea: A focal concerns perspective."

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

Mourtgos, S., Adams, I. T., McLean, K., & Alpert, G. P. (2026). Risk and public judgements on police pursuits: A nationally representative conjoint experiment. Police Quarterly. journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

Do interactions with the police correlate with identity formation? Examining the relationship between police legitimacy, procedural justice, and self-identification over time The main goal of this study is to explore the temporal relationship between procedural justice, legitimacy, and self-identification. More specifically…

Bolaji, Q., &. Metcalfe, C. (2026). Do interactions with the police correlate with identity formation? Examining the relationship between police legitimacy, procedural justice, and self-identification over time. Journal of Criminal Justice, 102:102589. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Improving police behavior through artificial intelligence: Pre‐registered experimental results in two large US agencies Police body-worn cameras (BWCs) generate extensive video data on officer behavior, yet resource constraints mean that only a fraction of this footage is ever reviewed. Recent advancements in artifici...

Adams, I. T., McLean, K., & Alpert, G. P. (2026). Improving police behavior through artificial intelligence: Pre-registered experimental results in two large US agencies. Criminology. doi.org/10.1111/1745....

The end of 2025 and beginning of 2026 resulted in some a number of policing publications for our department members and their colleagues:

Congrats to Assoc. Prof. Tia Andersen on her new publication in the Journal of Youth Development:

"Promoting Positive Youth Development Through Mentoring in Alternative Education," Journal of Youth Development: Vol. 20: Iss. 4, Article 7.
Available at: open.clemson.edu/jyd/vol20/is...

Congrats to Assistant Professor Scott Mourtgos on his new publication in Behavioral Science & Policy:

Wise, R. A., Mayer, R. C., & Mourtgos, S. M. 2025. Police-public trust: Toward a more complete perspective. Behavioral Science & Policy, 11(2), 31-37.

The foundational deficits of correctional rehabilitation For more than three decades, correctional rehabilitation has positioned itself as a cornerstone of criminal justice reform, celebrated by its supporters as the gold standard for reducing recidivism...

Congratulations to Assistant Professor Ian Adams on his publication in the inaugural issue of Evidence Base:

Logan, M. W., Long, J. S., Dulisse, B. C., Adams, I. T., & Morgan, M. A. (2026). The foundational deficits of correctional rehabilitation. Evidence Base. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Jail Leaders’ Receptivity to Empirical Research Jail leaders play a critical role in managing local facilities, making their perspectives on research essential for understanding the balance between empirical evidence and the practical demands of...

Congrats to PhD grads Heather Ouellette & Riane Bolin & Prof. Brandon Applegate on their new publication:

"Jail leaders' receptivity to empirical research" in Justice Evaluation Journal. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

We are happy to share the great news that Dr. Veronica Gonzalez has accepted the offer to transition to a tenure-track assistant professor position beginning in August 2026! We look forward to her ongoing contributions to the department and the university!

sc.edu/study/colleg...

Congrats to Asst Prof. Boehme, PhD student Gabby Mascari & MA student Kaley Smith and their co-authors on their new pub in Crime & Delinquency!

journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

Leveraging Social Networks to Prevent Mass Public Shootings | Rockefeller Institute of Government Rising numbers of mass public shootings have renewed urgency among policymakers and the public to identify effective prevention strategies, as 2025 is on pace to reach a post-pandemic high in such inc...

Check out this blog post by Assistant Professor Brent Klein and his colleagues on preventing mass public shootings!

www.rockinst.org/blog/leverag...

Police Chases: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

Our very own Professor Geoff Alpert appears in an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver to discuss police chases! You can check it out here (he appears around the 16-minute mark):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVFX...

Congrats to PhD student Sophia Shaiman & Associate Prof. Boyle on their publication in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence entitled "Disparities in Street Harassment Exposure and Mental Health Consequences: Elevated Risk for Marginalized Women."

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...