Peter C. Moskos

Professor Peter C. Moskos is a distinguished faculty member at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, where he serves in the Department of Law, Police Science, and Criminal Justice Administration. He also directs the NYPD Executive Master's Leadership Program, serves on the faculty of CUNY's Doctoral Program in Sociology, teaches at LaGuardia Community College, and is a Senior Fellow of the Yale Urban Ethnography Project.

His academic journey began at Princeton University, where he earned his AB in Sociology (Magna Cum Laude, 1994), followed by PhD and MA degrees in Sociology from Harvard University (2004). His unique background combines academic excellence with practical experience as a former Baltimore City police officer.

Moskos is a leading expert whose research bridges theoretical criminology and practical policing. His work focuses on police culture, crime prevention strategies, qualitative research methods, and drug policy reform. Drawing from his participant-observation experience as a police officer, he examines how law enforcement operates in urban environments and how police-community relations can be improved. His research often challenges conventional wisdom while offering practical solutions to complex public safety issues.

His scholarly output shows a consistent focus on the intersection of policing theory and practice, with recent work examining contemporary urban crime challenges, the effectiveness of police strategies, and the relationship between business regulation and crime prevention. His publications span academic journals, policy briefs, and public commentary, demonstrating his commitment to translating research into actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners.

• Winner of the American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) for Cop in the Hood
• Recognized as one of Atlantic Magazine's 'Brave Thinkers' of 2011
• Mother Jones named In Defense of Flogging as a 'Favorite Book of the Year'
• Multiple teaching awards from John Jay College
• CopintheHood.com awarded 'Top 50 Criminal Justice Blogs' by Criminal Justice Degree Schools

Moskos has served as primary advisor for 10 master's theses and secondary advisor for 4 PhD theses. His research has been supported by significant grants including a $3.7 million U.S. Department of Education cooperative grant and a $4,000 PSC-CUNY Research Award to study drug policy and police culture in the Netherlands and United States. He founded and organized the Department of Law and Police Science Faculty Research Salon (2009-2013) and maintains an active research agenda through the Yale Urban Ethnography Project, where he continues to explore urban policing dynamics and crime prevention strategies.