David Mitre Becerril

David Mitre Becerril is an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut's School of Public Policy (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences). He holds a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania (2023), an M.S. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University (2019), and two B.A. degrees: Economics from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (2013) and Political Science from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (2013).

His research explores the intersection of urban development and crime prevention, emphasizing place-based interventions and causal mechanisms. Key themes include the effects of street lighting, zoning policies, overdose prevention centers, and economic policies like minimum wage on public safety. His work has been published in Criminology & Public Policy, JAMA Network Open, and Journal of Urban Economics, with media coverage from outlets like the New York Times and CNN. He has received prestigious awards such as the American Society of Criminology’s Gene Carte Award and APPAM’s Equity & Inclusion Student Fellowship.

David teaches courses on causal inference, applied quantitative methods, and R programming for policy analysis. He has led grant-funded projects, including evaluations of the Hartford Community Court and research on mental health services’ impact on neighborhood safety. His non-academic experience includes roles at Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography and the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change.

He is skilled in R, Python, Stata, and GIS tools, and presents frequently at conferences like the American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting and Criminology Consortium.