Vera Institute of Justice

Abdul was a research associate in Vera’s Policing Program. He led research efforts on the landscape of 911 calls for service, Arrest Trends and a range of other policing projects that are focused on alternatives to arrest. In addition to quantitative research, he conducted a cross-site evaluation of organizational justice efforts in both the United Kingdom and United States. He also provided programmatic capacity on the CompStat360 project which is focused on shifting the culture of policing in America.

Prior to joining Vera, Abdul worked as a data scientist at Campaign Zero and an associate fellow at The R Street Institute. He started his work in the criminal justice reform space while working at Beldock, Levine & Hoffman LLP, where he worked on a range of police misconduct and correctional reform cases. He also held internships as an intake paralegal at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office and as a researcher at The White House. Abdul holds an MPhil in politics from the University of Oxford. His thesis quantified the impact of different police union mechanisms and explored the politics of criminal justice systems, policing, labor economics, and special interest groups in America. He also holds a BA in political science & studio art from Hunter College (CUNY).