Deseret News: Few police officers are religion experts. That can create big problems
John Decarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and retired Branford police chief, discusses the importance for officers to understand cultural sensitivities.
John DeCarlo, Ph.D.
Chair
Coordinator, Online Master’s Program in Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Department
Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Science
Education
Ph.D. City University of New York Graduate Center
M.Phil. City University of New York Graduate Center
M.A. John Jay College of Criminal Justice
M.S. Tiffin University
About John
John DeCarlo is a nationally recognized expert in community policing and on perceptions of race in policing. He previously was a member of the Branford Police force for 34 years, including six years as chief
Dr. DeCarlo’s current research focuses on police contagion shooting, looking closely at what causes violence to escalate. He is the co-principal investigator on a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant to study racial profiling.
The co-author of three books and numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. DeCarlo’s book, Police Leaders in the New Community Problem-Solving Era, examines community policing in Boston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Newark, studying how police leaders successfully implemented community-policing strategies.
His research focuses on police management, police unions, policing methods, and eye witness identification. His published work includes "Perceptual Differences between Police and Citizens Encountering Weapons Focus Effect" in Police Quarterly and "Does Video Recording Alter the Behavior of Police During Interrogation? A Mock Crime-and-Investigation Study" in Law and Human Behavior.
His wide-ranging research interests also include environmental criminology. Exploring the effect of weather and environmental variables on crime, Dr. DeCarlo discovered that many long-held myths on weather and lunar cycles and their impact on crime appear to be untrue.
As police chief in Branford, Dr. DeCarlo was credited with making the department a model of community policing. He works closely with the New Haven Police Department, looking at gang affiliation and differential association, and at ways to thwart gun violence through the collaborative efforts of police, parole, probation, and the larger community.
The founder of the Center for Advanced Policing at the University of New Haven and co-founder of NexGen Solutions, Inc., Dr. DeCarlo was previously the coordinator of the Police Studies program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He received his Ph.D. in criminal justice and a master’s degree from the City University of New York Graduate Center. He also earned an M.A. from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and an M.S. from Tiffin University. He currently serves as chair of the police section of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
Often quoted in the media about police issues, Dr. DeCarlo has been featured on CBS News, NPR’s All Things Considered, Al Jazeera Television, and in the New Haven Register. A widely sought-after speaker, he participated in Yale University’s Seminar on Racial Disparity in Criminal Justice and the Vera Institute’s conference on Police Change and Legitimacy.
Selected Publications
- Kassin, S., Lawson, V., Kuchuka, J. & DeCarlo, J. (2016). Police reports of mock suspect interrogations: A test of accuracy and perception. Law & Human Behavior, Online First, 1-15.
- DeCarlo, J., Jenkins, M. (2015). Labor Unions, Management Innovation and Organizational Change in Police Departments. Springer Publishing.
- Book – Police Unions and Innovation, With Michael Jenkins, Police Unions – Springer Publishing – (2015)
- Book Review, September 2015 – Ghettoside, Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, Volume XLII, Number 3
- Book Chapter on Amadou Diallo in African Americans and Criminal Justice: An Encyclopedia (2015) Jones-Brown, D and Frazier, B. Greenwood Press, New York
- Peer reviewed Journal Article – FBI Law Enforcement News – May, 2014, with Michael Jenkins, A critical Evaluation of Executive Level Police Training – US Gov. Printing Office
- Book – Police Leaders in the New Community Problem Solving Era. With Michael Jenkins, Innovations in Policing – Carolina Academic Press – 2014
- Peer reviewed Journal Article – Kassin, Lawson, Kuchuka and DeCarlo, (2012), Effects of video cameras on interrogation – Law and human behavior
- Peer reviewed Journal Article – DeCarlo, J. Sedelmaier, C & Jenkins, M. (2012), Criminal Path Mapping And Its Relationship To Environmental Crime Theories, International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA) Journal, 21, 1
- Peer reviewed Journal Article - International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning – A Phenomenological Examination of Student Self Efficacy in Distance Learning – July, 2004
Recent Conference Presentations
DeCarlo J. and Markovic V. (2017) Performance Enhancement in Policing. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting, Kansas City, MO.
Grants
DeCarlo, J (2015)South Norwalk Against Crime BCJI P1.
DeCarlo, J (2016) NSF – Racial profiling study NSF LSS.
In the Media
New Haven Register: Jennifer Dulos search reaches two months, but case a ‘long way’ from going cold
John Decarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and retired Branford police chief, discusses the importance of police communicating with the public during an ongoing investigation.
WNPR: Two Wethersfield, Conn. Officers Involved In Fatal Shooting Made More Traffic Stops Than Most
Associate professors of criminal justice John DeCarlo and Michael Lawlor discuss the importance of the state’s analysis of police data in light of a recent fatal shooting during a traffic stop in Wethersfield.
New Haven Register: Experts: Education, training key to ending police shootings
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, discusses recent New Haven police shooting.
Connecticut Post: Bridgeport Police Probe Prompts Calls for Accountability from City, Community Leaders
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and a former Branford police chief, talks about what can be learned on from a recent probe into possible criminal activity of Bridgeport police officers.
New Haven Register: Editorial: Bridgeport Police Report Highlights Need for Changes
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and a former Branford police chief, talks about how changes need to start within the police department.
New Haven Register: James Walker: Accomplices? Maybe the Legal System Should be Charged, Too
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and program coordinator for the online M.S. in criminal justice program, brings attention to the issues within the current criminal justice system.
New Haven Register: CT Vigilantes Who Target Alleged Child Predators Draw Cheers, Concern
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and program coordinator for the online M.S. in criminal justice program, notes the lack of a failsafe system in place when it comes to vigilante groups.
Police One: Conn City’s Search for New Police Chief Comes as Ranks Shrink
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and program coordinator for the online M.S. in criminal justice program, talks about the personal research he has done about hiring leaders of police departments.
New Haven Register: New Haven’s Search for New Police Chief Comes as Ranks Shrink
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and program coordinator for the online M.S. in criminal justice program, talks about the personal research he has done about hiring leaders of police departments.
New Haven Register: CT cops have fatally shot 24 people since 2013
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, says that despite recent media and community focus on police shootings, these incidents remain uncommon. They are a tiny percentage of the thousands of contacts the public has every day, he notes.
New Haven Register: FBI data shows crime in Conn. down; numbers up for murder
John DeCarlo, an associate professor of criminal justice, explains how the public might believe that crime is on the rise despite the steady decline over years.
CTPost: Bridgeport stun-gun complaint draws City Halls’s ire
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on police use of a Taser after one was used on Bridgeport City Councilwoman Karen Jackson’s son when fleeing from police.
San Antonio Express: Community needs to help end recent rise in New Haven shootings, says chief
John Decarlo, associate professor in criminal justice, comments that the rise in New Haven shootings could be explained by a theory known as differential association.
The Toronto Star: He Paid for Mentos at a California Gas Station and Then an Officer Pulled a Gun on Him
John DeCarlo, former police chief and chair of criminal justice, discusses how an off-duty officer use unreasonable use of force by pulling out a gun as a first step.
The New York Times: He Paid for His Mentos. Then an Officer Pulled a Gun on Him
John DeCarlo, former police chief and chair of criminal justice, comments on how an off-duty police officer drew his firearm immediately upon speaking with a man in a convenience store and why this behavior was so unreasonable. This story was picked up by dozens of media outlets in the U.S. and Australia.
New Haven Register: Filing for Divorce Could Have Triggered North Haven Domestic Violence Case
John DeCarlo, former police chief and chair of criminal justice, comments on the dangers of a domestic violence incident and why officers are injured more during those types of calls than on the streets.
WTNH - TV8: EXCLUSIVE: Chief Justice Marshal Admits Lying Under Oath
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on how the admission of perjury by New Haven District chief judicial marshal Thomas Bouley damages public trust and expectations.
The George Washington Hatchet: Overhaul of UPD Leadership Would Expand Oversight After Resignations, Experts Say
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, discusses the lack of standardized leadership structure for police departments.
CT Post: Totals Don't Tell Full Story of Drug Overdoses
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, discusses how the increasing number of fatal overdoses in Connecticut can be more accurately seen in rates rather than totals for each affected city. This story ran in other Hearst Media in Connecticut.
Stamford Advocate: Spike in Overdose Deaths in Stamford Points at Fentanyl
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on the increasing rates of fatal overdoses in Connecticut and how the rising prevalence of fentanyl is to blame. This story ran in other Hearst Media in Connecticut.
New Haven Register: Facebook Fuels Hysteria Over False Threat at Milford High School
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, discusses how social media allows false information to easily spread and cause mass hysteria, as seen with a false school shooting threat in Milford, Connecticut.
Hartford Courant: Threats, Scares At Connecticut Schools Swell After Parkland Shooting
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on the public and law enforcement response after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida.
Global News: Florida School Shooting: Why AR-15-Style Rifles Keep Showing Up in U.S. Mass Shootings
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, discusses how the marketing and glamorization of the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle is contributing to its increasing use in mass shootings.
CBS News, Crimesider: Long-awaited Review on Sandy Hook Police Response Released
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven, comments on the state police report about the response to the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
New Haven Register: New Haven Marks Lowest Homicide Number in Decades in 2017
John DeCarlo, chairman of the criminal justice department and associate professor of criminal justice, discusses how the operating style of New Haven police has contributed to the decrease in New Haven’s homicide rate.
CBS: Review of Sandy Hook Police Response Remains Unreleased
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on the after-action state police report of the investigation of the police response to the Sandy Hook shooting. The report has not been released, even though the tragedy occurred five years ago. This story was picked up by local and national media.
Connecticut Post: Bridgeport Cops Tangle Over Letter of the Law
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on Bridgeport Police advertising their profession on their clothing. This article was picked up by local media around the state.
Greenwich Time: New Haven Police Officials Say Cost of Cops’ Equipment Worth Every Penny
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments that while the price of police equipment is expensive, it is worth it.
New Haven Register: 1 Dead in West Haven Collision; Neighbors Recall Scene
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on head-on car accident in which a Seymour man died Thursday night. The crash involved an East Haven motorist who allegedly was fleeing Orange police following a hit-and-run traffic accident.
Chicago Tribune: Kenneka Jenkins’ Death Strikes Chord With Amateur Sleuths, Police Critics
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on the trends with social media responses in crime investigations, especially in regards to Kenneka Jenkins’ death.
PolitiFact: Were Militia Groups in Charlottesville Better Equipped than Virginia State Police?
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and a former police chief, comments on the type of force Law Enforcement officers use today. They often consider public opinion and decisions on using heavy equipment is likely a political decision.
Record Journal: Petit Home Invasion Impact on Law Enforcement
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on how the Petit home invasion tragedy has affected law enforcement agencies and how it forced them to step up their training.
Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Cops Off Duty Work Often Second Job
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on the need of many police officers for extra income and says that off-duty work can supplement their incomes without costing the city budget.
Connecticut Post: Bridgeport Police Chief: Leaving Body in View Won’t Happen Again
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and a former police chief, comments on the dilemma police are faced with when a victim has been shot. Covering the body can compromise evidence; not covering it can upset people. This story also appeared in other Hearst papers in Connecticut.
NewsTimes: Calls for Cop Cams After Bridgeport Teen Shot
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice and a former police chief, comments on the value of police body cameras. This story also appeared in other Hearst papers in Connecticut.
Long Island Press: What Does DOJ Review of Police Settlements Mean for SCPD Reforms?
John DeCarlo, assistant chair of criminal justice department, comments on the high-profile slaying of Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero and accusations of discriminatory treatment of Hispanics.
Hartford Courant: Hartford Clashes With Feds Over Immigration Enforcement
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on federal agents posing as police to conduct an operation in Hartford to enforce federal immigration laws. Advocates worry the episode could damage the relationship between local law enforcement and the city's population.
Miami Herald: More Women Joining the Police Force in Asheville
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on the increasing number of women now working in law enforcement. The story was picked up by media outlets around the country including Richmond County Daily Journal, Reflector.com, WRAL, and WBT-FM.
Citizen-Times: More Women Joining the Force in Asheville
John DeCarlo, associate professor of criminal justice, comments on the increasing number of women now working in law enforcement.