Research Fellow, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace at Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-6010. V: (650) 723-1475, F: (650) 725-5677, Email: mcnamara@hoover.stanford.edu
Dr. McNamara is listed in The PRDI Drug Policy Resources Directory for the Media as an expert on: Crime and drug use; Impact on criminal justice system; International drug policies; Police/government corruption.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS:
Dr. McNamara is a regular commentator on issues related to policing and drug policy, with many op-eds and columns appearing in national new publications, and several books on policing.
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY:
Joseph D. McNamara was appointed a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, in 1991. He had been the chief of police for the city of San Jose, California, for 15 years, and is recognized as an expert in criminal justice, police technology and management systems, crime prevention, and international drug policies. His career in law enforcement spans a 35 year period, beginning in Harlem as a beat patrolman for the New York-City Police Department. He rose through the ranks and in mid-career was appointed a Criminal Justice Fellow at Harvard Law School focusing on criminal justice research methodology. Following this appointment he took a leave from police work and earned a doctorate in Public Administration at Harvard.
Returning to duty with the NYPD, he was appointed Deputy Inspector in charge of crime analysis for New York-City. In 1973, he became the police chief for Kansas City, Missouri, leading that department into ground-breaking research and innovative programs. In 1976, he came to San Jose, to become that city's chief of police, remaining there until his retirement in 1991. During his tenure, San Jose (the third largest city in California and the 11th largest in the United States) became the safest in the country despite having the least police staffing per capita. The San Jose Police Department has been a model for innovative police practices, community relations, and productivity, with departments throughout the world duplicating their advanced training and computerization programs.