Joshua Crawford is a Public Safety Fellow at the Georgia Center for Opportunity and the Director of Group Violence Intervention at the Louisville Metro Police Department, where he runs the city’s gang violence reduction strategy. He is a nationally recognized criminal justice expert whose work focuses on crime prevention, effective policing, and public safety policy. 

Joshua brings thoughtful analysis and actionable solutions to the biggest challenges facing America’s criminal justice system. He also sheds light on the under-reported but significant link between public safety and upward mobility—how reducing crime empowers communities to attract businesses, increase jobs, and boost economic opportunities for lower-income residents.

Previously, Joshua served as a Young Voices Contributor. He was also the Executive Director and Director of Criminal Justice Policy at the Pegasus Institute. Before that, Joshua served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Earlier in his career, he was a fellow at the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, a research assistant at the Massachusetts Bar Association, and a clerk for Boston Municipal Court Judge Michael Coyne.

Joshua has a bachelor’s degree in crime, law, and justice from Penn State University, a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, and a master’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Joshua has written for national outlets including the Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Newsweek, National Review, and the Washington Examiner. He has also examined crime trends for specific cities in outlets including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Chicago Sun-Times, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and more. Selected writings are below.