Reno: Focus on science of preventing crimes

Society's crime problem will only be solved with scientific evidence applied to a smart public policy, according to Janet Reno.

The former attorney general challenged the University and its Criminology Department to take the scientific approach in a lecture Friday afternoon. Reno addressed a packed house in College Hall as part of the second annual Penn Criminology Day.

In her address, Reno emphasized community-building across America as a means to solve the nation's crime problem.

Reno said that research institutions like Penn's Jerry Lee Center for Criminology are crucial for finding what works to stop crime.

"It is imperative that we join forces like never before across disciplines," she said.

With scientific research, it is possible to identify the risk factors that indicate future criminal behavior, according to Reno. Teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, inadequate housing and an unstable home environment are all precursors to crime, she said.

She identified education as the first step toward addressing these problems before they develop into criminal behavior.

Giving at-risk children hope that they can succeed is the secret for building strong, crime-free communities, Reno said. She emphasized a "new link between schools and the criminal-justice system" as imperative for stopping crime before it starts.

She challenged Penn to "develop concepts of what works and what doesn't" in crime prevention with rigorous scientific research.

While given partial credit for the crime drop of the 1990s, Reno said she is not content with the strides made to cut crime thus far.

"We cannot rest on our laurels," she said. "We must learn from our past and forge into the future."

Reno said she is confident that society can be structured to diminish the causes of crime.

"We can build our life the right way if we put in the right materials," she said. "Dream enough to believe in yourself and believe in your communities."

The first woman to serve as U.S. attorney general, Reno is considered one of the foremost authorities on criminology, according to Laurie Robinson, the director of Penn's Master of Science in Criminology Program.

Robinson was assistant attorney general under Reno and helped to start the Janet Reno Fellowship Fund, which was unveiled at the symposium. The fund will help support Penn Criminology master's students.

Student reaction to the symposium was positive.

"It was an honor to hear a speaker as knowledgeable and prominent as Janet Reno," College freshman Greg Kaplan said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.