Public safety executive bridges frontline police leadership with evidence-based academic research and structural reform
NEWARK, N.J., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Public safety executive and former Newark Deputy Mayor and Police Chief Brian O'Hara announced today his ongoing collaboration with Rutgers University through his fellowship engagement. The initiative highlights O'Hara's commitment to advancing evidence-based crime prevention, data-driven policing, and structural reform in public safety organizations.
O'Hara, who holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Rutgers University–Newark School of Criminal Justice, has long maintained a close relationship with the institution. During his academic career at Rutgers, he was recognized with the prestigious 2010 Richard J. Hughes Award.
Through his fellowship affiliation with Rutgers and the Center on Public Security (CPS), O'Hara bridges frontline operational leadership with academic research. His collaborative research has focused on spatial analytics, Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM), and evidence-based strategies, such as saturation foot patrols, that foster safer communities and improve police-community trust.
"Integrating rigorous academic research with operational law enforcement experience is essential to building modern, accountable, and effective public safety organizations," said O'Hara. "Sound police operations and tactics require strategies grounded in data, transparency, and continuous learning."
Over a distinguished career spanning two decades, O'Hara has served in major executive leadership roles, including Newark Public Safety Director, Newark Deputy Mayor, and Chief of Police in Minneapolis. Throughout his tenure, he has directed complex organizational turnarounds, oversaw federal consent decree compliance, and pioneered community-first public safety models.
The Rutgers fellowship underscores O'Hara's role as a leading national voice in public safety innovation and crisis leadership, linking policy theory directly with executive practice.
About Brian O'Hara
Brian O'Hara is an executive consultant, public safety practitioner, and academic contributor specializing in law enforcement stabilization, crisis management, and police-community relations. He holds B.S. and M.A. degrees in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University–Newark and is a graduate of executive leadership programs at Harvard Kennedy School and the FBI National Academy.
Media Contact
Media Relations, O'Hara Leadership Group, LLC, 1 (908) 312-3909, [email protected]
SOURCE O'Hara Leadership Group, LLC
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