Public Policy
The Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project
As a member of the Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project, Eli has analyzed the publicly available data from the Richmond Police Department (RPD) concerning Use of Force and Complaints Against RPD Officers. Summary of findings and policy recommendations based on the findings and in accordance with best practices are contained in the policy briefs below.
Concerning the Collection and Dissemination of Use of Force Data by the Richmond Police Department
Handling of Complaints by the Richmond Police Department
Translational Research Fellow, Office for Public Policy Outreach, L. Douglas Wilder School for Government and Public Affairs at VCU
The Translational Research Fellows program is a unique mentoring program in which VCU faculty translate the precision and depth of academic research into relevant, high quality briefs and presentations for policymakers. Fellows work with experienced policy communicators to refine the key insights of their research into short briefs, then present their research to relevant Virginia legislators in face-to-face meetings.
Eli's work with on anti-LGBT hate crimes creates opportunities for public policy to address the needs of victims and survivors of these crimes. Based on their research, one critical and direct impact of public policy on anti-LGBT hate crimes is that while anti-LGBT legislation increases rates of anti-LGBT hate crimes, pro-LGBT legislation actually reduces their incidence. In this way, LGBT public policy in Virginia likely directly exacerbates or improves LGBT people’s experiences of violence in the state. Additionally, their work also suggests the need for improved collection of hate crimes data and that effective policy changes could help to foster cross-sector collaboration that benefits victims.
Eli is currently working with key legislators in Virginia to discuss the implications of their research and inform policy decisions being made regarding LGBT issues in the state. These include changes to current legislation in the state, as well as informing decisions regarding newly proposed legislation in the state.
Reducing Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes and Improving Services to Survivors
Responses to and Prevention of Hate Crimes
Equality Knowledge Project, Equality Research Center at Eastern Michigan University
The Equality Knowledge Project is a program intended to produce timely, high-quality research on LGBT equality issues. The research produced through the program is presented in the ERC's speaker series and made available to the public.
Eli's contribution to this project addresses the question, is the enactment of national and state LGBT civil rights legislation related to anti-LGB hate crimes? Specifically, the research examines the influence of bans to same sex marriage, legalization of same sex marriage, civil unions legislation, bias crime legislation based on sexual orientation, and bias crime legislation based on gender identity, on state-level rates of anti-LGB hate crimes. The results of this research indicate that the enactment of same-sex marriage bans are associated with higher rates of anti-LGB hate crimes; while passage of same-sex marriage legislation is associated with reduced rates of anti-LGB hate crimes.
