Jessica Gillooly

Jessica Gillooly is an Assistant Professor in the Sociology & Criminal Justice Department at Suffolk University, joining in Fall 2021. Previously, she served as a postdoctoral research fellow at NYU School of Law’s Policing Project. Her research focuses on 911 dispatch systems, policing practices, and organizational studies, emphasizing the role of call-takers in shaping police responses. She employs mixed-methods approaches, including quantitative analysis and conversation studies, to explore systemic reforms in public safety.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology, University of Michigan
• MPP in Public Policy, University of Chicago
• BA in Sociology, Brown University

Research Interests: Gillooly’s work examines how 911 dispatch centers mediate public requests into police actions, with a focus on organizational mediation, racial disparities, and policy reforms. Her current project analyzes historical shifts in reactive policing and dispatch system evolution since the 19th century.

Awards:

• Raymond Vernon Memorial Award (2022), recognizing best paper in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management
• Innovative Teaching Award (2023) from Suffolk University

Grants & Expertise:

• Co-Principal Investigator for the Microsoft-funded “Reimagining Dispatch and Transforming First Response” (2020–2022)
• Subject Matter Expert for the ACLU and U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division since 2021

Courses Taught: Introduction to Criminal Justice, Police and Society, Theories of Crime, Urban Sociology, and Special Topics in Alternative Response Models.