Abstract
Research-to-practice partnerships (RPPs) play a significant role in helping community agencies respond to regional resilience issues. Responding to high drug-trafficking activity in a rural border area, the San Diego State University Regional Resilience Center partnered with the City of Brawley, California Police Department to secure a Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance’s grant addressing three regional challenges: fentanyl use and overdoses, community perspectives on safety and the police, and changes to crime rates and patterns. This study highlights the benefits of RPPs in bridging the gap between academic research and practitioner application while illustrating how evidence-based practices and data-driven decision-making enhance agencies’ capabilities and capacity to confront complex social issues in vulnerable areas.
Authors
Jeffery Osborne
Jeffery R. Osborne, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at San Diego State University (SDSU), the Program Advisor for SDSU Imperial Valley’s Graduate Program in Homeland Security, the Co-Director of the SDSU Regional Resilience (R2) Center, and an Instructional Technology Services (ITS) Faculty Fellow. He holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York Graduate Center, an MA in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a BS in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Osborne has published articles in several journals, including Homicide Studies, Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, and Security Journal.
David Kanaan
David Z. Kanaan, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Public Administration at San Diego State University (SDSU), Chair of the SDSU Imperial Valley Division of Professional Studies, and Co-Director of the SDSU Regional Resilience (R2) Center. He holds a PhD in Public Affairs, Governance, and Policy Research from the University of Central Florida. Dr. Kanaan has published research in several journals, including Education and Urban Society, Journal of Public & Nonprofit Affairs, Journal of Urban Affairs, Public Administration Review, Public Performance & Management Review, Public Integrity, and Public Administration Quarterly.
