// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Robin Engel a good archer? Robin to the occasion.
Robin Engel | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University at Albany |
| Known for | Research on racial profiling |
| Awards | 2008 International Association of Chiefs of Police / Motorola Webber Seavey Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement
2008 National Criminal Justice Association Outstanding Criminal Justice Program Award 2009 International Association of Chiefs of Police / West Award for Excellence in Criminal Investigations 2017 University at Albany Distinguished Alumni Award 2022 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences O.W. Wilson Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Criminology |
| Institutions | University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University |
| Thesis | Street Level Supervision: Styles of Patrol Supervisors & their Effects on Subordinate Behavior (1999) |
Robin Shepard Engel is an American criminologist. She currently serves as a Senior Research Scientist in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University.[1] She was formerly a tenured professor in the College of Education Criminal Justice and Human Services at the University of Cincinnati (UC), where she remains an adjunct professor.[2]
She also previously served as the director of the IACP/UC Center for Police Research and Policy, a collaboration between UC and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). She is also the former director of UC's Institute of Crime Science.[3] She became UC's first Vice President for Safety & Reform in 2015, when the university created the position in response to the shooting of Samuel DuBose by a UC police officer.[4] Former UC President Santa Ono said that Engel's "hands-on" approach that she has used to research policing, sometimes involving walking with police officers on their beats, would help her improve the campus's police department.[5] She later went on to further research de-escalation tactics, notably the Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) developed by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), in a research study involving the Louisville, Kentucky Metro Police Department. [6]
Early life and education
[edit]Childhood
[edit]Engel grew up in a turbulent household, witnessing domestic violence at a young age. Early in her life, she experienced a positive encounter with a police officer that changed her life for the better.[7] The officer's intervention inspires her advocacy for the importance of law-enforcement decision-making.
Education
[edit]In 1992, Engel graduated magna cum laude from the University at Albany with her Bachelors of Arts in criminal justice and psychology with a focus on Political Science and American Government.[2] She went on to further her education at this university, earning a Masters of Philosophy in criminal justice in 1994.[2] 5 years later, Engel graduated from the School of Criminal Justice, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University of Albany with her Ph.D. in criminology. She wrote her dissertation on how the behavior of patrol supervisors influence how subordinate officers behave.[2]
Career
[edit]
2015 - 2019: Vice President for Safety and Reform at the University of Cincinnati
[edit]During her time as a professor at the University of Cincinnati in 2015, a campus law-enforcement officer shot and killed an unarmed motorist. University officials, considering Engel's expertise in criminal justice and law-enforcement safety reform,[2] asked for her input on how to navigate the crisis. After giving them an outline of a response plan, involving immediate crisis control and long-term police reform training,[7] the university requested that she execute the plan. By the following morning, Engel was named the Vice President for Safety and Reform at UC, now leading the campus police department.[7]
Engel worked with UC's police division for 3 years, working to rebuild the relationship between the police force and the community, with a constant emphasis on improving public safety.[7] After achieving great success in this program, Engel discovered a newfound interest in pursuing and implementing de-escalation training in law-enforcement sectors.[7]
De-escalation
[edit]Following the controversial Killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, the United States was pressured to implement de-escalation training for law-enforcement.[7] During the introduction of this concept, police officers were concerned about their personal safety, fearing that de-escalation training would teach them hesitancy, compromising their decision-making in the field.[7] Engel revisited and navigated this political climate in her new role as a police executive at UC in 2015, taking into account the concerns of the officers while testing brand-new practices.[7] She advocates for ICAT, a de-escalation training that was originally developed in Scotland by PERF. Engel, while not affiliated with the group, applied and tested their training in the police force at UC.[7]
Engel argues that de-escalation cannot be defined in one statement. She references a definition that several researchers use: "Bringing a situation or citizen in crisis back to a calm state using the least amount of force possible."[8] This involves using tactics to slow situations down, such as leveraging time, distance, and positioning accordingly to resolve conflicts safely.[7] Engel states that in policing contexts, reducing violence and the use of force are crucial components.[7]
2019: Research at the Louisville, Kentucky Metro Police Department
[edit]ICAT Training
[edit]In 2019, in a decision made independent from Engel, the Louisville Kentucky Metro Police Department began ICAT training for their officers.[7] The department allowed Engel and her research team to conduct a randomized study on the effectiveness of ICAT training in law-enforcement. Her team assessed pre- and post-training outcomes within districts and compared districts that received ICAT training with those that did not.[6] Their research found that ICAT training reduced the likelihood of using force by 28%, citizen injuries by 26%, and officer injuries by 36%, supporting the effectiveness of de-escalation training.[6] Following this pivotal research, the United States became more comfortable with adopting de-escalation methods within police departments.[7]
Awards
[edit]2008 - 2009: Criminal Justice Awards
[edit]2017: Distinguished Alumni Award
[edit]Engel was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Albany, 18 years after she graduated with her Ph.D.[2]
2022: O.W. Wilson Award
[edit]In 2022, Engel received the O.W. Wilson award from the Academy of Criminal Justice and Sciences[2], an organization dedicated to forwarding police training research, expanding knowledge on law-enforcement, and connecting policing with research and academics.[9] This is the organization's most prestigious award, reserved for those who make significant advancements to police education or research.[9]
Peer reviewed publications
[edit]Engel, R. S., McManus, H. D., & Isaza, G. D. (2020. ) Moving beyond "best practice": The need for evidence to reduce officer-involved shootings. ANNALS of American Academy of Political & Social Sciences, , 687 ,146
Engel, R. S., McManus, H. D., & Herold, T. D. (2020. ) Does de-escalation training work? A systematic review and call for evidence in police use of force reform. Criminology and Public Policy, ,
Engel, R. S. (2018. ) Focused deterrence strategies save lives: Introduction and discussion of an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Criminology and Public Policy, , 17 (1 ) ,199
Madero-Hernandez, A., Deryol, R., Ozer, M. M., & Engel, R. S. (2017. ) Examining the impact of early childhood school investments on neighborhood crime. Justice Quarterly, , 34 (5 ) ,
Engel, R. S., Corsaro, N., & Ozer, M. M. (2017. ) The impact of police on criminal justice reform: Evidence from Cincinnati, Ohio. Criminology and Public Policy, , 16 (2 ) ,375
Kaminski, R., Engel, R. S., Rojek, J., Alpert, G., & Smith, M. R. (2015. ) A quantum of force: The consequences of counting routine conducted energy device punctures as injuries. Justice Quarterly, , 32 (4 ) ,598
Engel, R. S. (2015. ) Police encounters with people with mental illness: Use of force, injuries, and perceptions of dangerousness. Criminology and Public Policy, , 14 (2 ) ,247
Corsaro, N., & Engel, R. S. (2015. ) The most challenging of contexts: Assessing the impact of focused deterrence on serious violence in New Orleans. Criminology and Public Policy, , 14 (3 ) ,471
Tillyer, R. & Engel, R. S. (2013. ) The impact of drivers' race, gender, and age during traffic stops: Assessing interaction terms and the social conditioning model .Crime and Delinquency, , 59 (3 ) ,369
Engel, R. S., Tillyer, R., & Corsaro, N. (2013. ) Reducing gang violence using focused deterrence: Evaluating the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV). Justice Quarterly, , 30 (3 ) ,403
Tillyer, R.; Engel, R. S.; Lovins, B. (2012. ) Beyond Boston: Applying theory to understand and address sustainability issues in focused deterrence initiatives for violence reduction .Crime and Delinquency, , 58 ,973
Ozer, M. & Engel, R. S. (2012. ) Revisiting the use of propensity score matching to understand the relationship between gang membership and violent victimization: A cautionary note .Justice Quarterly, , 29 (5 ) ,105
Tillyer, R., Klahm, C. F., & Engel, R. S. (2012. ) The Discretion to Search: A multilevel examination of citizen demographics and officer characteristics .Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, , 28 (2 ) ,184
Engel, R. S., Tillyer, R., Klahm, C. F., & Frank, J. (2012. ) From the officer's perspective: A multilevel examination of citizens' demeanor during traffic stops. Justice Quarterly, , 29 (5 ) ,650
Engel, R. S., Smith, M. R., & Cullen, F. T. (2012. ) Race, place, and drug enforcement: Reconsidering the impact of citizen complaints and crime rates on drug arrests. Criminology and Public Policy, , 11 (4 ) ,601
Tillyer, R. & Engel, R. S. (2012. ) Racial differences in speeding patterns: Exploring the differential offending hypothesis. Journal of Criminal Justice, , 40 (4 ) ,285
Corsaro, N., Gerard, D., Engel, R. S., & Eck, J. E. (2012. ) Not by accident: An analytical approach to traffic crash harm reduction. Journal of Criminal Justice, , 40 (6 ) ,502
Engel, R. S. & Whalen J. L. (2010. ) Police-Academic Partnerships Ending the Dialogue of the Deaf: The Cincinnati Experience .Police Research and Practice, , 11 (2 ) ,
Tillyer, R., Engel, R. S., & Cherkauskas, J. M. (2010. ) Best practices in vehicle stop data collection and analysis .Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, , 33 (1 ) ,69
Engel, R.S. & Smith, M.R. (2009. ) Perceptual distortions and reasonableness during police shootings: Law, legitimacy and future research .Criminology and Public Policy, , 8 (1 ) ,
Engel, R.S. (2008. ) Revisiting critical issues in police use-of-force research .Criminology and Public Policy, , 7 ,557-561
Tillyer, R., Engel, R. S., & Wooldredge, J. (2008. ) The intersection of racial profiling research and the law .Journal of Criminal Justice, , 36 (2 ) ,138-153
Engel, R.S. & Tillyer, R. (2008. ) Searching for equilibrium: The tenuous nature of the outcome test .Justice Quarterly, , 25 ,54-71
Engel, R.S. (2008. ) A critique of the outcome test in racial profiling research .Justice Quarterly, , 25 ,1-36[2]
Books
[edit]The Power of Arrest: Lessons Learned from Research, Engel, R. S., Worden, R. E., Corsaro, N., McManus, H. D., Reynolds, D., Cochran, H., Isaza, G. T., Cherkauskas, J. C. (2019)
References
[edit]- ↑ "Robin Engel | John Glenn". glenn.osu.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Expert Profile: Robin Engel | Research Directory". researchdirectory.uc.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
- ↑ Mura, John; Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (2015-07-31). "Samuel DuBose's Death in Cincinnati Points to Off-Campus Power of College Police". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
- ↑ Williams, Jason (2015-08-04). "In wake of DuBose shooting, UC appoints VP to head safety, police reform". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
- ↑ Horn, Dan (2015-08-04). "New UC VP faces big job: Reform campus cops". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
- 1 2 3 Engel, Robin S.; Corsaro, Nicholas; Isaza, Gabrielle T.; McManus, Hannah D. (2022-01-12). "Assessing the impact of de-escalation training on police behavior: Reducing police use of force in the Louisville, KY Metro Police Department". Criminology & Public Policy. 21 (2): 199–233. doi:10.1111/1745-9133.12574. ISSN 1538-6473.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Robin Engel, Ph.D: Does de-escalation training really work? – Train de trainer" (in Dutch). 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ↑ Todak, Natalie; White, Michael D. (2019-10-10). "Expert officer perceptions of de-escalation in policing". Policing: An International Journal. 42 (5): 832–846. doi:10.1108/pijpsm-12-2018-0185. ISSN 1363-951X.
- 1 2 "Police". Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
External links
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