Jack McDevitt Director of the Institute on Race and Justice j.mcdevitt@neu.edu 617.373.3482 Expertise Criminal Justice Organizations, Hate Crimes, Race and Justice Jack McDevitt in the Press Christian Science Monitor Boston broke a record last year for fewest homicides. It’s on track to do it again. “There seems to be a renewed effort to include the community in the process of public safety,” says Jack McDevitt, a professor emeritus of criminology and criminal justice at Northeastern University. He also points to Massachusetts’ low gun ownership rate and stricter gun laws. Axios Scoop: Antisemitic hate crimes hit record high in Boston Antisemitic hate crimes increased in Boston after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, but the uptick is also part of the yearslong trend of rising white nationalism, says Jack McDevitt, a criminal justice professor at Northeastern University. State officials tout no bias in police stops. Looking closer reveals a different reality They were selected over two other teams that had — including one led by Northeastern’s Jack McDevitt, a longtime expert in the field and a lead author of the 2004 study. Boston.com Maine’s yellow flag law and how it compares to other New England states’ gun restrictions Jack McDevitt, a professor at Northeastern University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice who was part of a task force responsible for drafting better gun reform laws in Massachusetts a decade ago, said it also isn’t a decision that law enforcement or medical professionals want to make, based on his research of shaping stricter gun […] CommonWealth Magazine We spearheaded state’s 2014 gun law; new legislation can build on it In 2014, we worked together to update Massachusetts firearm laws following the mass killings of school children in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Following that mass homicide, one of us, as speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, formed a task force, chaired by the other, a Northeastern University expert in criminal justice issues, to determine if […] Voice of America Gun Violence Puts Young Americans at Risk “We have to find out a mechanism that will make a family member see they need to step in” and try to stop a relative who might pose a threat of gun violence, said Northeastern University criminology professor emeritus Jack McDevitt. Two mass shootings in three days. Are these copycat crimes? “We don’t see many 60- and 70-year-olds committing mass homicides, and when they do it’s usually a murder-suicide within a family,” said Jack McDevitt, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston. Newsweek We’re Only One Day into 2023 and Already This Many Americans Have Been Shot Speaking to Voice of America Professor Jack McDevitt, an expert in criminology at Northeastern University, said: “We are seeing a return to much higher rates of gun violence than we have seen for a long time. Voice of America US Gun Violence Soars in 2022 “We are seeing a return to much higher rates of gun violence than we have seen for a long time,” said Jack McDevitt, a professor at Northeastern University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice in Boston, Massachusetts, speaking with VOA. “We are starting to see more people use firearms to go after victims who they […] U.S. News & World Report Editorial Roundup: New England Jack McDevitt, director of the Institute on Race and Justice at Northeastern University and a longtime gun violence researcher, says the Legislature could, for instance, require local police to check in with family about an applicant’s mental health before issuing a license. Jack McDevitt for Northeastern Global News Northeastern’s Michael Davis receives prestigious award for his work as a trailblazing police chief Northeastern’s Michael Davis receives prestigious award for his work as a trailblazing police chief Vice president of global safety and policing, Davis was named a distinguished fellow of the George Lewis Ruffin Society. Here’s how policing in the US could be reformed Here’s how policing in the US could be reformed Police departments need to increase diversity, create a system that allows officers to report racist behavior, and allow the public to have a voice in police oversight to prevent the unprovoked killing of Black people, says Jack McDevitt, the director of Northeastern’s Institute on Race and Justice who studies hate crime and racial profiling. Here’s one way to counter the spread on social media of hate crimes like the New Zealand mosque shooting Here’s one way to counter the spread on social media of hate crimes like the New Zealand mosque shooting Short of regulating extremist content on their platforms, tech giants should offer countering or alternative viewpoints. Can data help make racial profiling by police a thing of the past? Can data help make racial profiling by police a thing of the past? Jack McDevitt, who directs the Institute on Race and Justice, is leading a study of police stops and searches in Douglas County, Kansas. Boston police to expand use of body cameras after Northeastern report shows they boost trust, lead to fairer trials Boston police to expand use of body cameras after Northeastern report shows they boost trust, lead to fairer trials Police body cameras increase public confidence in both police and in the courts, according to Northeastern’s analysis of their use by the BPD. Northeastern report finds stricter gun laws don’t prevent law-abiding citizens from getting guns Northeastern report finds stricter gun laws don’t prevent law-abiding citizens from getting guns Tougher gun licensing laws don’t make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to obtain firearms, according to a new Northeastern study. “States are concerned that if they have a licensing provision, people will be denied their constitutional rights, and I think Massachusetts is a strong example showing that doesn’t have to be the case,” said lead author Jack McDevitt, director of Northeastern’s Institute on Race and Justice. 3Qs: Safety measures at the Republican National Convention 3Qs: Safety measures at the Republican National Convention More than 10,000 people are expected to protest outside the Republic National Convention in Cleveland this week. Tensions are running high, particularly because of the recent spate of terrorist attacks and shootings both near and far, but the consensus among city officials is that they’re ready to address a potentially chaotic scene. “We are prepared,” […] The hidden world of labor trafficking The hidden world of labor trafficking A new study conducted by Northeastern University in collaboration with the Urban Institute examined the comprehensive state of labor trafficking networks in the U.S. 3Qs: Race, justice, and Ferguson 3Qs: Race, justice, and Ferguson Jack McDevitt, director of Northeastern’s Institute for Race and Justice, examines the events unfolding in Ferguson, Missouri, and some of the university’s research efforts around law enforcement and social justice. The immigration debate in America The immigration debate in America As part of Northeastern’s educational series on civic sustainability, a trio of Northeastern scholars led a discussion on immigration issues in the U.S. from a legal, philosophical, and criminal justice perspective.
Christian Science Monitor Boston broke a record last year for fewest homicides. It’s on track to do it again. “There seems to be a renewed effort to include the community in the process of public safety,” says Jack McDevitt, a professor emeritus of criminology and criminal justice at Northeastern University. He also points to Massachusetts’ low gun ownership rate and stricter gun laws.
Axios Scoop: Antisemitic hate crimes hit record high in Boston Antisemitic hate crimes increased in Boston after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, but the uptick is also part of the yearslong trend of rising white nationalism, says Jack McDevitt, a criminal justice professor at Northeastern University.
State officials tout no bias in police stops. Looking closer reveals a different reality They were selected over two other teams that had — including one led by Northeastern’s Jack McDevitt, a longtime expert in the field and a lead author of the 2004 study.
Boston.com Maine’s yellow flag law and how it compares to other New England states’ gun restrictions Jack McDevitt, a professor at Northeastern University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice who was part of a task force responsible for drafting better gun reform laws in Massachusetts a decade ago, said it also isn’t a decision that law enforcement or medical professionals want to make, based on his research of shaping stricter gun […]
CommonWealth Magazine We spearheaded state’s 2014 gun law; new legislation can build on it In 2014, we worked together to update Massachusetts firearm laws following the mass killings of school children in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Following that mass homicide, one of us, as speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, formed a task force, chaired by the other, a Northeastern University expert in criminal justice issues, to determine if […]
Voice of America Gun Violence Puts Young Americans at Risk “We have to find out a mechanism that will make a family member see they need to step in” and try to stop a relative who might pose a threat of gun violence, said Northeastern University criminology professor emeritus Jack McDevitt.
Two mass shootings in three days. Are these copycat crimes? “We don’t see many 60- and 70-year-olds committing mass homicides, and when they do it’s usually a murder-suicide within a family,” said Jack McDevitt, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston.
Newsweek We’re Only One Day into 2023 and Already This Many Americans Have Been Shot Speaking to Voice of America Professor Jack McDevitt, an expert in criminology at Northeastern University, said: “We are seeing a return to much higher rates of gun violence than we have seen for a long time.
Voice of America US Gun Violence Soars in 2022 “We are seeing a return to much higher rates of gun violence than we have seen for a long time,” said Jack McDevitt, a professor at Northeastern University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice in Boston, Massachusetts, speaking with VOA. “We are starting to see more people use firearms to go after victims who they […]
U.S. News & World Report Editorial Roundup: New England Jack McDevitt, director of the Institute on Race and Justice at Northeastern University and a longtime gun violence researcher, says the Legislature could, for instance, require local police to check in with family about an applicant’s mental health before issuing a license.