Biography

Dr. Ed McGarrell's primary research interest is in communities and crime and the development of evidence-based strategies for violence reduction. Since 2002 he has led an MSU team that has served as the national research partner for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.  This has involved research on gun, gang, and drug-related crime and the impact of  PSN as well as the provision of research-based training and technical assistance to PSN task forces coordinated by the 93 U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country.

In addition to this national research, McGarrell and colleagues are working with criminal justice officials and community partners in Detroit (Ceasefire and PSN), Flint (MI-Youth Violence Prevention Center), Lansing, and with the Michigan State Police.  McGarrell’s involvement with data-driven, focused deterrence strategies was shaped by his experience in Indianapolis where he served as the research partner and co-coordinator of the Indianapolis Violence Reduction Partnership (IVRP).  Related research has examined the impact of restorative justice conferences as an alternative to traditional juvenile justice processes.

More recently McGarrell has begun to collaborate with an interdisciplinary group of MSU colleagues involved in the Conservation Criminology Program with research focused on pollution, wildlife, and natural resource crime.  McGarrell serves on the Environmental Crime Committees of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and of INTERPOL.