Rod K. Brunson, Professor and Chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, was the featured guest on a recent episode of The Criminology Academy podcast. Hosted by Drs. Jose Sanchez and Jennifer Tostlebe, the episode examined issues of race, legitimacy, and public trust in policing.

Prof. Brunson discussed two of his published works: his 2020 op-ed in The Washington Post, “Protests focus on over-policing, but under-policing is also deadly,” and a 2025 article in Policing & Society titled “Participant accounts of police violence during Black Lives Matter protests in Chicago,” co-authored with Vijay F. Chillar, Malcolm D. Holmes, Jessica Trapassi and Demi Pirrone. Both pieces explore the ways communities experience law enforcement, particularly during high-conflict encounters or in contexts where trust in police is low.

During the conversation, Prof. Brunson described how perceptions of under-protection can shape behavior, sharing a case study of a young man in New York who remained armed due to fear for his own safety and a belief that police would not be able to protect him. He also addressed the framing of anti-snitching culture, noting that some individuals who live in high-crime neighborhoods appropriately view it as a survival strategy, shaped by concerns over retaliation and low clearance rates for violent crimes.

The episode also examined reactions to Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. Drawing on data from Chicago BLM protestors, Prof. Brunson noted that participants described widespread police violence against protestors, including by those who reported engaging peacefully. He explained how participants interpreted the heavy-handed police response as indiscriminate or disproportionate, and in some cases, targeted more harshly toward Black protestors.

Prof. Brunson also spoke about the public debate around defunding or abolishing the police. During the podcast, he shared concerns raised in his op-ed about how those short-sighted proposals could impact communities experiencing high rates of violence. He emphasized that many residents in these neighborhoods want increased police presence, but also want officers to act effectively and respectfully.

These are just a few of the issues discussed during the episode. To hear more of Dr. Brunson’s reflections on protest responses, police legitimacy, and the role of qualitative research in amplifying offenders’ voices, listen to the full interview on The Criminology Academy podcast, available on the podbean platform.