Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. Henry Ford
Testimonials
Rachel was always prepared for every aspect of class, and clearly knowledgeable on the subject matter... I definitely feel that I have a more holistic knowledge of the profession after taking this course.
Anonymous student, Course Evaluation
I know that Rachel works very hard. I have no doubt that anything Rachel sets her mind to she can attain.
Letter of Recommendation
Recent Published Work
The Fruits of Labor
Jensen, R. H. (2019). What Has Place Got to Do With It? Hot Spots Policing to Address Physical and Mental Health. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043986219836579
Gill, C., Jensen, R. & Cave, B. (2018). Exploring physical force and subject resistance in police encounters with people with behavioral health issues. Victims & Offenders, 13(80, 1106-1131, DOI: 10.1080/15564886.2018.1512025
My Research
Below are my most recent research projects. A full documentation of my past decade of research experience is in my CV.
June 2017-Current
ABSPY is a community-oriented program addressing juvenile delinquency, crime, and school life. I analyze police incident data, geo-code incidents within the 5 hot spots, and provide research reports for the project group.
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2018 Evaluation Update: http://www.rb-safeplaceforyouth.com/resources/data/
RADAR
March 2016-September 2019
Police interactions with people with a behavioral health issue has become a polarized topic in public discussion. As the research partner with the police department, I managed a large data set of police incidents over a 4 year period to analyze for police-intervention effects
Major Area Paper (MAP)
July 2019-November 2019
A requirement of my doctoral program, the MAP is "an opportunity to conduct an expert analysis of a particular topic of interest." Using education theory, I analyze the current empirical standing of police training development literature and how it can be improved.
Education Experience
CRIM 401: Policing in America
In the summer of 2019, I accepted an adjunct role for the summer session. Rather than assigning students a textbook, I created my syllabus and each lecture from a variety of disciplines.
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Course description: Policing as a craft is a house with many doors. We will be covering topics such as police’s impact on crime, legitimacy and models for policing as well as contemporary issues like police and mental health, community relations and evidence-based practices. We will expand to issues, challenges and other relevant topics in policing. Specifically we will engage in discussions throughout these topics on how modern police mitigate challenges. The goal of this course is to increase your general knowledge on a variety of topics on policing in America.
Lecture: Police Impact on Crime & Disorder
This lecture was recorded and provided to students remotely. I have provided it here as an example of my lecturing style.