On 21 October 2024, Dr. Ian Marder (Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology) was one of four panellists to participate in that week’s episode of Upfront with Katie Hannon on RTÉ One. Alongside Gary Gannon TD, Jim O’Callaghan TD and Dr. Ciara Kelly, Ian discussed the ongoing calls for a zero-tolerance policing approach.
With panellists and audience members speaking for and against this approach, Ian’s role was to outline the best available evidence on the likely consequences of different policing approaches. He noted that the common misconception that zero-tolerance led to crime reduction in New York City was dispelled by the drop in crime in similar cities that did not adopt zero-tolerance policing at the same time. Instead, he argued, the evidence suggests that adopting a public health policing approach, in which there are significant investments in police engagement with professionals from the healthcare sector and other social services, is the most likely to prevent violence and other crime.
You can see the full episode here, and a clip of Ian speaking here.
You can read an article Ian coauthored with Dr. Kevin Wozniak (Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology) on this topic here.
In Maynooth University, Ian teaches LW269 Policing on the BCL Law and Criminology and BA Arts programmes.