Fall / Winter 2009 - Rochester Institute of Technology

Focus Area | Transforming Crime Analysis
Transforming Crime Analysis
by Marcia Morphy
Through criminal justice research and innovation, Rochester has become a model
for how universities and cities can provide strategic crime-fighting solutions through
the use of technology.
A Partnership that Saves Lives
Two years ago, the City of Rochester and Rochester Institute of
Technology collaborated to create the Public Safety Initiatives
Center (PSIC), charged with developing an anti-violence master
plan that would involve law enforcement, government services,
and community assets. The center, is located at RIT and has a
presence in City Hall and police headquarters.
At the helm is PSIC director John Klofas, professor of
criminal justice in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts and chairperson
of the department—who continues to serve as loaned executive
to the city.
As Klofas says, “It’s a great honor to work with such strong
leaders in this community, but for me, my colleagues, and our
students, there is an overwhelming sense of responsibility with
20 Fall/Winter 2009 Report