Brian Buchner

Professor Brian Buchner holds a dual role as a Professor at the University of Southern California (USC) Bovard College and a part-time lecturer at California State University, Los Angeles. He currently serves as Assistant Inspector General of the LAPD Office of the Inspector General, overseeing audits of LAPD operations to ensure accountability and transparency. His career spans law enforcement oversight, homelessness policy, and criminal justice reform, including pioneering programs like the CIRCLE initiative addressing homelessness and co-leading a national survey of police oversight agencies.

Education: BS in Criminal Justice (Bowling Green State University), MA in Criminology (University of Missouri-St. Louis), and a certificate in Public Safety Leadership (USC Safe Communities Institute).

Research interests focus on equitable criminal justice systems, police accountability mechanisms, crisis intervention models, and systemic barriers to housing and justice. His work emphasizes collaboration between law enforcement, clinical professionals, and communities to address disparities in policing and public safety.

Awarded roles include Senior Fellow at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, advisor to the American Law Institute’s Policing Project, and board member of Ride On (equine therapy for disabilities). He previously served as President of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) and led the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office in homelessness strategies managing $1B+ funding.