Dr. Richard Janikowski provides a glowing recommendation of John Harvey for the position of Deputy Director. Over the past 5 years, Dr. Janikowski has worked closely with Mr. Harvey on developing the Memphis Police Department's innovative Real Time Crime Center and data-driven policing strategies. Mr. Harvey has demonstrated exceptional technical skills, programing ability, and critical thinking in developing numerous applications that have enhanced MPD's operations and engagement with the community. Dr. Janikowski emphasizes that Mr. Harvey's experience and technical expertise have been instrumental in making the Real Time Crime Center a national model that has significantly increased public safety. He strongly recommends Mr. Harvey as an outstanding candidate who will be a major asset to any organization.

1. Excerpt from a letter of recommendation by Dr. Richard Janikowski (Professor of Criminology
and Principal Research Partner with Memphis Police Department’s Blue C.R.U.S.H. - 2012
THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CENTER FOR COMMUNITY CRIMINOLOGY AND RESEARCH
Park Avenue Campus 901-678-1308
4050 South Park Loop, Bldg. 29 Fax/901-678-1483
Memphis, TN 38152 e-mail: rjankwsk@memphis.edu
I must admit that this is somewhat of a difficult letter for me to write. While I am always very pleased to
write in support of any endeavor being undertaken by Mr. John Harvey, I deeply regret the possibility of
losing one the most valuable members of the Memphis Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center. As
the research partner for the Memphis Police Department’s data-driven strategies, including its highly
successful Blue C.R.U.S.H. initiative, and a former academic department chair, I am very much aware of
the importance of your choice of a prospective Deputy Director and truly believe you will find Mr.
Harvey an exceptional candidate and that he will be an outstanding addition to your department
I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with John for the past 5 years on an innovative project
initiated in the City of Memphis and developed by the Memphis Police Department (MPD.) The MPD
Real Time Crime Center, which evolved as part of the department’s Blue C.R.U.S.H. (Crime Reduction
Using Statistical History) strategy, to implement data-driven policing approaches to address critical
public safety issues confronting the community. In my role as the Principal Research Partner for Blue
C.R.U.S.H., I provided research support and technical assistance for the development of innovative data
analysis techniques for MPD and was a member of the technical team sent by MPD to learn about
NYPDs Real Time Crime Center. MPD recognized the need to expand the principles of data-driven
policing that provide the core of Blue C.R.U.S.H. throughout the City of Memphis by creating a new,
state-of-the-art Real Time Crime Center with new crime analysis software and hardware. The RTCC
provides investigative support, upgraded crime analysis, and technical assistance within the department
while also providing data-sharing capability to other departments within the region moving towards
adoption of a the model of data-driven policing. As a result, I had the opportunity to work very closely
with John during the development and implementation of MPD’s Real Time Crime Center. John has
been at the center of developing advanced technical applications for the RTCC; the applications
developed by John are too numerous to discuss in detail. His work has spanned numerous areas from
community support applications to database development to investigative support systems. For
example, his development of community crime information packages, CYBERWATCH, which have
enhanced MPDs capacity to engage community partners and members in crime prevention efforts and
provided a mechanisms for community members, along with adaptation of an on-line and text tip
system in partnership with Crime Stoppers, to provide MPD with information that has resulted in the

2. apprehension and arrest of thousands of suspects. CYBERWATCH has generated rave community
reviews and garnered substantial support for MPD from the community while reinforcing a message of
transparency and partnership to the community. John’s development of new databases and search
technologies for incorporation into MPDs LPR systems has dramatically improved the productivity of
uniform patrol officers and significantly improved the benefit to cost ratio of the technology. His work
with the LPR systems serves as a national model of the manner in which technology can effectively
support traditional police efforts. Currently, John is completing Beta testing of the ACES (Automated
Case Examination) system which conceptually will provide an impressive advance in the type of
investigative support that can be provided detectives through applications of advanced technology.
John’s work has been a critical component in making the RTCC a national model and a central piece of
MPDs success in reducing crime in the city.
John has always excelled in his work and displayed an outstanding dedication to his job. I have been
consistently impressed with the quality of his work, his ability to understand and critically analyze
complex and difficult material, and his insistence on excellence. His work reveals creativity and
imagination, and an ability to effectively and insightfully grapple with complex issues within multiple
contexts. John’s excellent performance reflects his research skills, programing ability, and capacity for
critical reasoning and analysis. Moreover, John demonstrates the ability to extend his thinking beyond
the analysis of a specific technical problem to the consideration of future implications for data analysis,
police operations, and dissemination. John brings to his work a special perspective: his many years of
experience as a commissioned law enforcement officer melded together with outstanding technical
skills provides a foundation for the development of products that are useful to police officers on the
street while also providing critical information needed by commanders in developing plans and ensuring
accountability. I have observed John effectively manage, direct, and coordinate the work of sworn and
non-sworn supervisory, professional, and technical personnel; select, supervise, train and evaluate RTCC
staff; oversee and direct the technical operations of the RTCC information systems.
In addition, Blue C.R.U.S.H., including the RTCC, formed partnerships between researchers and
practitioners to gather and analyze data for use in identifying and analyzing problems with the goal of
developing enforcement, intervention and prevention strategies addressing these problems. In my role
as the Principal Research Partner for Blue C.R.U.S.H., I provided research support and technical
assistance for the development of innovative data analysis techniques for MPD and had the opportunity
to work very closely with John. I was consistently impressed with the quality of his work, his ability to
understand and critically analyze complex and difficult material, and his insistence on excellence. In
particular, Mr. Harvey, early on in the project, demonstrated an intuitive understanding of research
methodology and was adept at comprehending complex data analysis. Mr. Harvey quickly became a
valued adjunct member of the research team and regularly contributed important perspectives and
ideas to the team’s development of research and evaluation protocols and the extraction and analysis of
data collected during the project.

3. Moreover, John was able to take data and information either developed by him or provided to him by
the research team and effectively and accurately disseminate it to a variety of audiences. In particular,
John’s law enforcement background, having served as a deputy in the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office,
enabled him to develop applications which effectively communicated information to law enforcement
officers, other criminal justice practitioners, and various community agencies and organizations. His
ability to understand and utilize data reflects his capacity for critical reasoning and analysis and his
willingness, dedication and discipline to carefully studying and comprehending methodologies with
which he is not initially familiar. It is also a testament to his outstanding communication skills.
Mr. Harvey’s dedication and diligent work have been instrumental in making the RTCC an outstanding
high quality program which has had a significant impact on dramatically increasing public safety in the
Memphis area. The entire experience of working closely with John on a variety of projects has been
both delightful and fulfilling; the type of experience that makes policy research a rewarding experience.
John’s skills, aptitude, leadership, and organizational ability are an asset to any organization of which he
is member.
John’s intelligence, ability, and technical skill is complemented by a warm, gregarious personality. He is
a person who contributes a great deal, both in his professional work environment and to the more
informal social interactions among colleagues. John is the kind of individual others actively seek out
when they know a job needs doing. He has established himself in the City of Memphis as someone with
intelligence, style, and creativity.
Your department will greatly benefit from the addition of John Harvey to your team. His
uncompromising insistence on excellence, coupled with his skills and motivation, ensure his success in
future endeavors. John’s knowledge, ability, and dedication are complemented by his outstanding
technical skills. I am proud to count him as a professional colleague and friend. His leaving MPD’s RTCC
will be a significant loss and I would welcome him back as a colleague at any time.
Very truly yours,
W. Richard Janikowski
Associate Professor and Director