Abdul Nasser Rad

Abdul Nasser Rad

Abdul Nasser Rad

DPhil in Sociology

Thesis: Police Protectionism and Police Abuse: exploring police unionism in America

Supervisor: David Kirk

My research is situated on the intersection of sociology, comparative politics, and criminology where I explore the political sociology of developing equitable justice systems. My doctoral studies are supported by the Clarendon Scholarship and Nuffield College. My research broadly aims to understand police protectionism and police abuse in America. Specifically, it explores how police union mechanisms reinforce racial orders by reducing accountability and sustaining cultures which insulate both police forces and their practices from the broader dynamics of equity. 

Previously, I worked as a researcher at the Vera Institute of Justice (Policing Program) where I led research efforts on the landscape of 911 calls for service, arrest trends, and a range of other policing projects that were focused on alternatives to enforcement. In addition to quantitative research projects, I helped conduct a cross-site evaluation of procedural justice efforts in both the United Kingdom and United States. Prior to Vera, I worked as a data scientist at Campaign Zero where I now serve as a research adviser.  

I hold an MPhil from the University of Oxford and a BA from Hunter College (City University of New York).