Reducing Local Crime with Risk Terrain Modeling - in Collaboration with Simsi

This 12-week online course explores how urban design, place-based risk factors, and local conditions contribute to crime and crime reduction. Through the lens of problem-oriented policing and situational crime prevention, students learn how Risk Terrain Modeling can support more strategic, evidence-based approaches to reducing local crime. This class is taught in collaboration with Simsi, Inc.

Throughout the course, students examine how police and other local stakeholders can use information from multiple data sources to identify vulnerabilities, prioritize responses, and support long-term public safety strategies. The class emphasizes evidence-based decision-making, community engagement, efficient use of resources, transparency, and sustainability.

Instructors: Joel Caplan and Les Kennedy

At a Glance

No textbook is required for this course. No specialized hardware or software is required.

Upcoming Sessions

Select the session that works best for your schedule. Once a session has passed or is already in progress, registration is disabled.

Note: availability labels are updated manually. For the most accurate information, refer to the registration form. If a class does not appear on the form, it should be treated as sold out.

Class Format

This is an introductory level course. No prior skills in Risk Terrain Modeling, crime analysis, or crime prevention are needed. No specialized hardware or software is required.

Students should expect a time commitment of 3-5 hours per week to gain a passing grade. The course is graded as pass/fail and follows a weekly-structured online format, meaning the class advances through each topic together week by week.

Students can log in whenever it fits their schedule, and there are no live sessions. Participation throughout the course is required for a passing grade. As a rule, bulk submissions during the last week of class are not accepted unless prior authorization has been granted by the instructor.

Invitations to the learning platform are sent the week before class begins.

Course Outline

This course is organized into 12 weekly modules that introduce students to the principles of risk-based policing and place-based crime reduction, building toward practical application of Risk Terrain Modeling concepts, prevention strategies, and a final project.

Ready to Enroll?

Choose an upcoming session and complete your registration. If a session fills, students may contact [email protected] to ask about availability or future offerings.