Deputy Director Ellen Scrivner, PhD (Ret.)

Police Foundation Executive Fellow Ellen Scrivner, PhD, has had a distinguished career characterized by a strong record in executive leadership devoted to advancing policing in America. She has held national criminal justice policy positions, both at the Federal and local levels, and has created innovative public safety initiatives responsive to pressing criminal justice needs. She is a recognized national expert on criminal justice policy, police behavior, and public safety and policing issues. In addition to significant Washington experience, she has held academic positions and also served on the Steering Committee for the Harvard Executive Sessions on Policing and Public Safety (2010-2011). In 2010, she received the O.W. Wilson Award for Outstanding Contributions to Police Education, Research and Practice from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

In 2009, President Obama appointed Dr. Scrivner to serve as the Deputy Director of the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Subsequently, she was detailed to be the National HIDTA Director, ONDCP, Executive Office of the President. Those appointments followed her tenure as the Director of the John Jay Leadership Academy, John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, where her portfolio included responsibility for the Patrick Murphy Lecture Series in addition to her work in building leadership capacity for criminal justice and public safety executives.

Dr. Scrivner’s appointment to John Jay followed her work as Deputy Superintendent for Administration of the Chicago Police Department (CPD), where she managed a $1.2 billion budget for the second largest police department in the country. She also participated in numerous CPD change initiatives that varied from implementing an online form of community policing to chairing a CPD-led, citywide Task Force to Respond to the Needs of the Mentally Disabled.

Dr. Scrivner held significant positions in the Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice. As part of the initial COPS staff, she assisted in developing the new and innovative Federal office within DOJ and subsequently became Assistant Director of Training and Technical Assistance, where she created a national training strategy that was implemented through a nationwide network of innovative Regional Community Policing Institutes. Subsequently, she was appointed Deputy Director of COPS and provided oversight for billion dollar grant programs that provided funding to 75% of police chiefs and sheriffs across the country; provided oversight for the COPS Office Police Integrity Program; coordinated the U.S. Attorney General’s National Conference and Presidential Roundtable: Strengthening Police and Community Relationships (1999); and was appointed to the Attorney General’s Task Force on Police Misconduct (1995-2000).

Post 9-11, Dr. Scrivner consulted with the FBI on setting up the new Office of Law Enforcement Coordination (OLEC) and consulted to the FBI Assistant Director for OLEC.

Dr. Scrivner’s publications include Hiring in the Spirit of Service: Innovations in Recruitment and Hiring and co-author onPolice Leadership Challenges in a Changing World (Batts, Smoot &Scrivner).

A licensed psychologist, Dr. Scrivner is a Diplomate, American Board of Psychological Specialties-Forensic Specialty. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, and served as president of the Psychologists in Public Service Division.

In 2013, she received the Harold M. Hildreth Distinguished Public Service Award from the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service, for outstanding executive leadership in advancing public service psychology.

Dr. Scrivner can be reached directly at: escrivner@policefoundation.org