Greenville Police Chief Hassan Aden recently joined other law enforcement professionals in a Congressional briefing and Joint Criminology Symposium in Washington, D.C. The symposium was put on by the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy (CEBCP), based at George Mason University, and the Scottish Institute for Police Research (SIPR). 

Chief Aden’s presentation was on police legitimacy, and he discussed the process recently used for gathering public input in developing Greenville’s soon-to-be-released Strategic Policing Plan. Aden focused on how to improve police legitimacy within communities as well as how to better connect with communities through inclusion and respect. 

“This level of including the public is rare and uncommon in American policing and is viewed as extremely innovative and meaningful,” said Chief Aden. “Many scholars and practitioners in the audience were amazed at the simplicity of such inclusion and the potential impact that it could have to improve, restore and establish much needed community partnerships in order to create a safer city where citizens have a voice in the activities conducted by the police department.”

In addition to the briefing and symposium, Aden, along with a few other research-oriented police chiefs, met with senior US Department of Justice officials to discuss the direction of future grant funding and the focus areas that they deemed important for US law enforcement. Immediately following this meeting, Chief Aden represented US law enforcement at an event at the US Capitol attended by several members of Congress and Scottish officials, including their First Minister (President).  This event focused on the great partnerships between the US and Scotland and generally celebrated the Scottish heritage in the United States.  

The Center, housed within the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University, seeks to make scientific research a key component in decisions about crime and justice policies. The CEBCP carries out this mission by advancing rigorous studies in criminal justice and criminology through research-practice collaborations, and proactively serving as an informational and translational link to practitioners and the policy community.

Pictured with Chief Aden is Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and Scottish National Police Chief Inspector Royan.

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