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PODCAST

The Jeff-alytics Podcast

Can data uncover the real story of crime and justice in America?Jeff Asher—nationally recognized crime data analyst, co-founder of AH Datalytics, co-creator of the Real Time Crime Index, and author of the Jeff-alytics Substack—sits down with policymakers, academics, journalists, and everyday people to reveal what the numbers actually show. Each episode challenges the myths we believe, exposes the gap between headlines and reality, and asks: what happens when we finally see crime clearly?New episodes

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

45:30

Crime, Policy, and What Has Changed with Charles Fain...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/05/13

Answering the why of crime trends is frequently much harder than answering the what. The same data inevitably leads to very different explanations depending on how you interpret them and what you think is driving them, and there are rarely “right” answers. The numbers are fairly clear, the reasons behind that are not. To get at some of the reasons why crime has trended as it as I’m turning to Charles Fain Lehman, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute who focuses on crime, disorder, and what he ...

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28:18

Investigating Crimes That Were Never Meant to be...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/05/06

Sometimes the hardest part about a crime isn't figuring out what happened — it's revisiting what's already been decided. Once a case is closed and a conclusion settles in, changing that can be just as difficult as investigating it was in the first place. My guest today is Jill Collin Jefferson, a civil and human rights attorney and the founder of JULIAN, an organization focused on investigating modern-day lynchings. JULIAN works with families and communities seeking answers in cases that hav...

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46:09

How Criminal Justice Policy Gets Made In The White...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/04/29

What happens when the people shaping national crime policy don’t actually have the data they need? In this episode, I sit down with Rachel Harmon, law professor at the University of Virginia who previously served as a senior policy adviser for criminal justice for the White House Domestic Policy Council. Rachel provides a rare inside look at how crime policy really gets made, breaking down what it’s like working inside the White House -- where decisions move fast, data moves slow,...

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37:48

Covering the FBI and DOJ in 2026 with Ken Dilanian

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/04/22

Ken Dilanian is a seasoned journalist covering the Justice Department and FBI, and in this episode he shares his insights on the evolving landscape of covering those agencies. We talk about crime data, the challenges of media coverage in 2026, the impact of political shifts on justice institutions, and a whole lot more in this jam-packed conversation. There are few journalists in the country with a better front row seat to the Justice Department in 2026 and Ken paints a fascinati...

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36:55

The Future of Criminal Justice in New Orleans with...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/04/15

New Orleans has had one of the nation's highest murder rates every year for decades. Since 2023, however, violent crime has dropped sharply — and in this episode, I talk with Mayor Helena Moreno about crime and criminal justice in New Orleans. We discuss the city's difficulties, like a severe budget crisis and the ongoing challenge of abysmally low sexual assault clearance rates, as well as the city's successes. Mayor Moreno has had a front row seat to the city's crime rise and subseque...

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32:00

Turning Policing Research into Real-World Action With...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/04/08

I talk a lot about crime analysis and analyzing crime data, but I realized that I’ve never actually talked to a crime analyst yet. To correct this, I’m talking with Carlee Ruiz, a former crime analyst and policing researcher, discussing how she bridges the gap between academic research and real-world law enforcement through her platform, Police Research Hub. Carlee highlights how valuable evidence-based insights are often inaccessible or underused, and explores the growing role of data, AI, a...

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43:33

Finding Common Ground To Advance Criminal Justice...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/04/01

Today I'm talking with Adam Gelb, President and CEO of the Council on Criminal Justice. Adam started CCJ in 2019 with a vision of bringing together as many different viewpoints as possible from across the political aisle to find common ground and make smart, evidence-backed policy recommendations. For this conversation, we talk about why murder has fallen so dramatically over the last few years, how you build a sustainable organization that spans the political spectrum, and how CCJ brings tog...

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35:20

A Blueprint for Reducing Gun Violence with Baltimore...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/03/25

Baltimore is typically seen as the poster child for high crime with the city consistently having one of the nation’s highest murder rates. Things have been changing in Baltimore in the last few years though as the city has had a nearly 60 percent reduction in murder 3since 2022. It is a remarkable story of solving gun violence using every tool in the toolkit. To understand this amazing turnaround , I talked to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. Mayor Scott shares his journey, innovative st...

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29:59

Talking Comedy And Tragedy with Ferne Pearlstein &...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/03/18

I thought about doing this episode very soon after starting this podcast. Ferne Pearlstein and Bob Edwards made a documentary more than a decade ago called “The Last Laugh” which talked about how comedy can tackle a tragedy as immense as the Holocaust and what lessons that might suggest for effectively communicating about crime. They interviewed basically every comedy legend you could think of and it’s an incredible film that will make you laugh and cry. This was a bit of a leap for me ...

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44:41

Policing in the Age of AI with Ian Adams

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/03/11

Have you heard about the police department in Utah where report drafting AI interpreted footage from an officer’s body camera of The Princess and the Frog playing in the background of an incident to mean the officer had morphed into a frog? AI has come a long way in the last few years but it still isn’t perfect. Within AI is the potential for revolutionary disruption of traditional processes, but there is also the danger of relying too heavily on a tool that is only right most of the ti...

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42:48

How Crime Data Shapes Political Narratives With Galen...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/03/04

Today’s guest is Galen Druke, host of the GD Politics podcast and one of the smartest voices out there talking about the intersection of politics and data. This episode’s mission was simple: do the most terrifying thing imaginable for your intrepid podcast host and try to talk about the role of politics on how we talk about and perceive crime. There’s a national election coming up in November and we discuss whether the nation’s crime trends will play a role or if the fact that crime is ...

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38:21

How Research Is Reshaping Criminal Justice Policy...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/02/25

Today, I'm talking with my friend Jennifer Doleac about how research makes better choices in criminal justice policy possible. This is very evident in her new book (out this week!) called 'The Science of Second Chances' which I'd highly recommend as an engaging, approachable read on a critical topic. We talk about her transition from academia to Arnold Ventures and the importance of evidence-based policy in criminal justice reform. We also discuss the need for leniency in handlin...

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48:05

Inside the FBI’s Crime Data Reporting With Assistant...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/02/18

I started tracking national murder trends in 2015 with a spreadsheet and data from around 25 random agencies that published at different cadences. That spreadsheet became a Google Sheet which became a dashboard with around 100 agencies with murder data which became the Real-Time Crime Index with seven categories of crime data from around 550 agencies nationwide. A sample of that size and quality is only possible because of massive advances in how the FBI collects and publishes crime dat...

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34:32

Transforming Criminal Justice in New Orleans with...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/02/11

As the District Attorney in New Orleans, Jason Williams is faced with a nearly impossible task. He must balance the job of being the prosecutor in a city that has had one of the nation’s highest murder rates for more than 30 years with the imperative of righting the wrongs of an office that has not always operated fairly. Jason led the New Orleans City Council’s Criminal Justice Committee when I was a public safety consultant for the council, so it was a great joy to get to talk to him ...

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43:55

How To Reduce Gun Violence in Cities With Jens Ludwig

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/02/04

In this conversation, Jens Ludwig discusses his extensive research on gun violence, particularly focusing on youth violence and the role of the University of Chicago Crime Lab. He emphasizes the importance of using data and behavioral science to understand and address the root causes of gun violence. Ludwig also critiques media representations of gun violence and shares insights from his book 'Unforgiving Places,' which explores the complexities of gun violence in America. He offers practical...

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39:00

The Science Behind Smarter Policing With Jerry Ratcliffe

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/01/28

In this engaging conversation, criminologist Jerry Ratcliffe shares his unique journey from a police officer to an academic specializing in policing. He discusses the importance of evidence-based policing, the challenges of communicating research to practitioners, and the evolving perceptions of crime trends in the U.S. Ratcliffe also highlights significant studies, including the Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment and his own Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment, which have shaped modern...

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31:07

What We Get Wrong About Crime And Immigration With...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/01/21

In this conversation, Dara Lind discusses her extensive background in immigration policy and reporting, the complexities of the U.S. immigration system, and the often misunderstood relationship between immigration and crime. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical context of immigration policy, the judicial responses to enforcement actions, and the public's perception of immigrants in relation to crime. Lind also shares her personal journey into immigration advocacy and ...

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35:36

The Policies Behind Atlantic County’s Safer Streets...

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/01/14

Today, Jeff talks with Atlantic County prosecutor William Reynolds about building an efficient, effective, and fair criminal justice system in one of the most interesting places in America: Atlantic City. This conversation explores the significant reduction in homicides in Atlantic County from 2012 to 2025, highlighting the strategies and reforms implemented to achieve this decline. The discussion delves into the factors contributing to the decrease in crime rates and the implications for pub...

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40:15

The Nation’s Crime Measures with Alex Piquero

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2026/01/07

In this engaging conversation, former Bureau of Justice Statistics director Alex Piquero shares his journey from playing in a rock band to becoming a prominent figure in criminology and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. We chat about the importance of crime data, particularly the National Crime Victimization Survey, and the challenges of public perception versus reality in crime trends. Piquero also highlights the intersection of sports and crime research, emphasizing the need for accurate da...

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12:04

The Jeff-alytics 2025 Year in Review

The Jeff-alytics Podcast ·

2025/12/30

This was a banner year for the Jeff-alytics universe and it's time to recap it! In this episode, host Jeff Asher reflects on three conversations this year that really resonated. This episode highlights the gap between public perception and actual data and emphasizes the need for diverse perspectives in shaping our understanding of crime and public safety. The episode features insights from various guests–Michael Lewis (Storyteller), Larry Krasner (District Attorney), and Susan Parker (Researc...

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51 results

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