Meghan E. Rubado, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of Urban Studies, Cleveland State University Levin College of Urban Affairs

Dear Colleagues:

The surge in attention to police use of deadly force, particularly against minorities, raises two types of question. One is the extent to which racism or more generalized fear provides societal support for unjustified use of force – as suggested by juries’ reluctance to indict or convict. The other is what drives, and how to influence, the behavior of police forces.

Scholars of bureaucracy have long understood that the police are “street level bureaucrats” who develop their own understandings of how to do their dangerous jobs.

The current (March/April 2017) issue of Public Administration Review includes a special symposium about Policing and Race, or Policing Reform. It addresses questions such as how the racial composition of a police force matters, communication between police forces and their communities, the effects of traffic stops, and other policies which may or may not influence behavior. In one article, Jay T. Jennings and Meghan E. Rubado address, “The Relationship Between Police Agency Policies and Rates of Officer-Involved Gun Deaths,” with some surprising findings.

Professor Rubado joins us to discuss both her own study and the overall state and results of research about shaping policing practices.

All best regards,
Joe White
Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies 

About Our Guest

Meghan Rubado joined the Levin faculty in Fall 2016 after completing her doctorate in Political Science at Temple University. Her dissertation examined how and why local governments cooperate with one another for service provision. Dr. Rubado was inspired to study the topic and pursue a Ph.D. after working for several years as a newspaper reporter at The Syracuse Post-Standard, where she covered City Hall, the Syracuse City School District, Onondaga County government, crime and safety, among other beats. She specializes in the study of state and local politics in the United States, environmental issues, and urban service provision. Her work has appeared in Public Administration Review, Urban Affairs Review, State and Local Government Review, Publius: The Journal of Federalism, and the CQ Press Guide to Urban Politics and Policy in the United States.

Where We Meet

The Friday Public Affairs Lunch convenes each Friday when classes are in session, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Our programs are open to all and no registration is required. We usually meet in the Dampeer Room of Kelvin Smith Library.

* Kelvin Smith Library requires all entrants to show identification when entering the building, unless they have a university i.d. that they can magnetically scan. We are sorry if that seems like a hassle, but it has been Library policy for a while in response to security concerns. Please do not complain to the library staff at the entrance, who are just doing their jobs.

The Dampeer Room is on the second floor of the library. If you get off the elevators, turn right, pass the first bank of tables, and turn right again. Occasionally we need to use a different room; that will always be announced in the weekly e-mails.

Parking Possibilities

The most convenient parking is the lot underneath Severance Hall. We regret that it is not free. From that lot there is an elevator up to street level (labeled as for the Thwing Center); it is less than 50 yards from that exit to the library entrance. You can get from the Severance garage to the library without going outside. Near the entry gates – just to the right if you were driving out – there is a door into a corridor. Walk down the corridor and there will be another door. Beyond that door you’ll find the entrance to an elevator which goes up to an entrance right inside the doors to Kelvin Smith Library.

Schedule of Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers:

April 28: Putin’s Russia. With Kelly M. McMann, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science and Director, International Studies Program.