John P. Skinner

John Skinner is a full-time faculty lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice at Towson University, where he specializes in police policy and evidence-based violence reduction strategies.  In addition to his position at the University, Mr. Skinner is a law enforcement technical advisor for the United States Department of Justice and has worked with multiple cities as a site liaison within the Police Collaborative Reform, Public Safety Partnership and Smart Policing initiatives.   

Mr. Skinner is the former Deputy Police Commissioner and a 21-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department.  As Deputy Police Commissioner, Mr. Skinner was responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of the agency's Operations Bureau which included all aspects of the Department's criminal investigations, tactical and patrol operations.  During his tenure, Mr. Skinner implemented operational crime reduction strategies that led to historic 30-year lows in overall violent crime in Baltimore.

Mr. Skinner was awarded Police Officer of the Year in 2010 by the National Alliance on Mental Illness for his collaborative partnerships in training police officers. In 2009, he was recognized by the United States Department of Justice for the development of the Patrol Response Survey, an evaluation program that measures the community's perception of police performance.  Mr. Skinner was also named "Baltimorean of the Year" by Baltimore Magazine for the creation of the Safe Zone Project, a nationally recognized community stabilization strategy.  

Mr. Skinner is a graduate of JINSA’s international homeland security exchange program with the Israel National Police Force.  Mr. Skinner holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and is currently a doctoral candidate in the Public Policy Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.