Illicit Supply Networks
On March 25 and 26, CINA co-organized an NSF-led conference on “Disrupting Operations of Illicit Supply Networks.” Academic and private sector experts in this field connected with representatives from relevant federal agencies including DHS, DOD, DOJ, USAID, and the U.S. Department of State, to discuss various forms of illicit activities including: trafficking (of humans, arms, drugs, antiquities, wildlife, and organs); pharmaceutical and other counterfeit product trading; financial fraud/money laundering; and cybersecurity/ Darknet trading.
The conference featured keynotes by Dr. Mark Shaw of The Global Initiative and Dr. Lee Schwartz from the U.S. Department of State. More than 120 experts attended the conference which served as a collaboration venue between academic institutions and law enforcement agencies, as part of an NSF initiative to remove the silos between research and operations.
CINA, this event presented a unique opportunity to recruit researchers for our research portfolio. After hearing the event’s CINA overview presentation, a number of participants submitted proposals to the CINA RFP, including professors Dolliver and Baldimtsi, whose proposals have now become fully sponsored CINA projects.
Crime Justice and Policy
Criminal justice practitioners, policy makers, and researchers from around the globe gathered at the George Mason University Arlington, Virginia campus with the goal to better integrate science into criminal justice policy. The CINA co-sponsored 2019 Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy Symposium on June 27 featured 375 registrants from 190 organizations in 35 states and Canada, and 45 speakers from universities, research think tanks and practices.
Symposium attendees discussed improving the overall fairness and effectiveness of criminal justice institutions and programs. Panels described complex issues such as the mental health crisis, identity victimization, mass violence in the United States, improving policing through research and analysis, and combating the opioid epidemic. CINA Director Stefanidis moderated a CINA-dedicated session on analytics for crime networks and which featured CINA PIs Szymanski, Holt, and Croitoru.
This is a meeting place to share new and cutting-edge research,” said CINA Science Committee member David Weisburd, a Distinguished Professor and the executive director of Mason’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy (CEBCP). “We focus on emphasizing that making policy decisions with strong scientific evidence is critical for the criminal justice system.