Law enforcement officers have a fundamental duty to keep communities safe for everyone, and they rely on extensive training and often instinct to handle difficult circumstances in the field. Today’s changing landscape and unceasing social media presence have brought new challenges and created a broader lens through which police officers are viewed. Christopher O’Connor, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Criminology in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, works alongside Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) and other community agencies to establish evidence-based research that will influence policy and guide police officers’ response to situations. Motivated by social justice for vulnerable populations, he is collaborating with DRPS and local agencies to assess and determine the best outcomes of a situation table that intervenes in high-risk cases in the community. Dr. O’Connor’s research will assist law enforcement and non-government organizations whose budgets face increasing cuts, in determining the best strategy forward for these cases. Dr. O'Connor's research agenda focuses on the role of new technologies in police work, for example, the use of social media to communicate with the public. He is analyzing the factors used to determine the relevance of communicating police information via social media. His research also examines the lives of young people and rapid growth communities. He has published several articles examining these areas including how young people understand crime (e.g., auto theft, boomtown crime), the impact of social structures on their lives (e.g., gender, race, and class), and school-to-work transitions. Previously, Dr. O’Connor spent three years as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice in the Department of Human Behavior, Justice and Diversity at the University of Wisconsin where his research examined boomtowns and energy, before returning to Canada as an Assistant Professor at UOIT in 2014. His teaching is grounded in methods and statistics courses, demonstrating his passion for research and its importance in society. Intrigued by the potential to impact decision- and policy-making related to social justice issues, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice with Highest Honours, and a Master of Arts in Sociology with Distinction, both from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. O’Connor completed his Doctorate in Sociology from the University of Calgary, Alberta.