At Peirce College, most of our faculty members are industry
professionals who practice what they preach. Many have spent years working in
the fields they teach which gives them keen insights into the industries where
our students are finding jobs. Robert Brzenchek, Assistant Professor and
Program Manager for our Criminal Justice Studies department is no exception.
Professor Brzenchek has enjoyed an illustrious career as a Navy intelligence
specialist, a Washington D.C. police officer, and a defense contractor for
various state and federal agencies. He continues to be in high demand for
criminal justice consulting and speaking engagements across the country. His
most recent presentation was at the National Gang Crime Research Center’s
(NGCRC) conference in Chicago. We sat down with Professor Brzenchek to learn
more about his research, the mission of the NGCRC, and how this impacts Peirce
College students.
Can you tell us about
the mission of the NGCRC?
The NGCRC exists as a non-profit independent agency that
seeks to do several things. First, they promote research on gangs, gang
members, and gang problems in cooperation with federal, state, and local
government agencies. They also disseminate up-to-date valid and reliable
information about gangs and gang problems through the official publication of
the NGCRC, the Journal of Gang Research. This connects law enforcement officers
(LEOs) and government agencies across the country and ensures that everyone has
access to the most up-to-date and valuable information to aid in their work
against gang violence. They also provide training and consulting services about
gangs at the federal, state and local levels.
Who attends this
conference?
This particular conference was attended by members of Illinois
law enforcement, corrections, and social services agencies who deal with gangs
daily. Illinois, specifically Chicago, has been ranked behind only Los Angeles
as having the highest concentration of gangs in the nation.
What information did
you present?
I’ve done a significant amount of research into gang
activity and how to combat the problem, so I presented on many of my findings.
There has been a spike of gang-related murders in recent years and one strategy
to combat that has been a prominent shift toward predictive policing. The
predictive-policing vision moves law enforcement from focusing on what happened
to focusing on what will happen and how to effectively deploy resources in
front of crime, thereby changing outcomes.
One key aspect of my presentation was how predictive policing for gang
prevention can assess criminal justice leaders’ level of readiness. Research in
this area highlights a need for focused gang prevention for identified
populations. Much of my research has shed light upon areas where
vulnerabilities continue to exist for those of lower socio-economic communities
in contrast to those of higher socio-economic communities, allowing for
criminal justice policy makers and planners to address such vulnerabilities in
communities when implementing gang predictive prevention programs.
What impact does this
have on Peirce’s criminal justice studies students?
Philadelphia has always been on the cusp of new criminal
justice initiatives. While most Peirce students may not be able to attend events
such as the NGCRC, I’ve been able to incorporate much of my research into
regular classes, so students are receiving the same level of information as
current LEOs working in the field. Having access to this type of information
allows students to stay properly informed and bridges the gap in understanding
as they find careers in the criminal justice field. I find that many students
have used information like this to help resist gang violence; increase their
knowledge and understanding of current issues; and create solutions for a safer
Philadelphia.
Thanks for your insights, Professor Brzenchek!
Editor's note: Professor Brzenchek will also be serving as an on air security expert for NBC10 during the upcoming Philadelphia papal visit. For more information on Peirce College's real world inspired curriculums and our Legal Studies programs,
click here.
