The Jeff-alytics Podcast

AH Datalytics
  • 4.8 (12)
  • Documentary

Can data uncover the real story of crime and justice in America?  Jeff Asher—nationally recognized crime data analyst, co-founder of AH Datalytics, co-creator of the Real Time Crime Index, and author of the Jeff-alytics Substack—sits down with policymakers, academics, journalists, and everyday people to reveal what the numbers actually show. Each episode challenges the myths we believe, exposes the gap between headlines and reality, and asks: what happens when we finally see crime clearly?  New episodes drop every other week! Visit ahdatalytics.com to learn more.

  1. Why Accountability and Prevention Don't Have to Be in Conflict with Neera Tanden

    1d ago

    Why Accountability and Prevention Don't Have to Be in Conflict with Neera Tanden

    Most debates about crime policy are framed as a choice. You’re either tough on crime or you’re not. You focus on enforcement or prevention. And the answers tend to sound simple. But once you move from talking about crime to actually trying to reduce it, things get more complicated, requiring nuanced solutions to complex problems. My guest today is Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress and a longtime policy advisor who has worked across multiple administrations, including serving as domestic policy advisor in the Biden White House. In this episode, we talk about what crime policy looks like from inside that system, what we’ve learned from the last few years, and why approaches focused on accountability and prevention don’t have to be in conflict. Neera Tanden is the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress and the CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Before leading American Progress, Tanden was the Domestic Policy Advisor to President Joe Biden and director of the Domestic Policy Council, overseeing some of the administration’s signature achievements, including its efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs and expand health insurance coverage. Previously, she was Senior Advisor and Staff Secretary in the White House. Tanden helped found American Progress, first working as senior vice president for domestic policy and later as chief operating officer. She ran the organization from 2011 to 2021, adding 10 policy teams and growing the budget by two-thirds. Previously, she has served as senior adviser for health reform at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, policy director for Hillary Clinton’s first presidential campaign, legislative director in then-Sen. Clinton’s (D-NY) office, and a senior policy adviser to the first lady in President Bill Clinton’s White House. Tanden received her Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her law degree from Yale Law School.

    36 min
  2. The Past, Present, and Future of Gun Violence Reduction with Senator Chris Murphy

    May 20

    The Past, Present, and Future of Gun Violence Reduction with Senator Chris Murphy

    What actually drives change on an issue like gun violence? Is it policy? Culture? Policing? Or something harder to measure? To help answer that question I’m turning to Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Senator Murphy has been one of Washington’s leading voices on gun violence reduction, a passion that was shaped by his experience in the aftermath of Sandy Hook, where he spent time with families and saw firsthand the impact of that tragedy . In this episode, we talk about the recent decline in gun violence nationally, what role federal legislation and local interventions may have played, and how the broader movement around this issue has evolved over time. Chris Murphy, the junior United States senator for Connecticut, has dedicated his career to public service as an advocate for Connecticut families. Murphy has been a leading voice in the Senate, fighting for affordable health care, sensible gun laws, a forward-looking foreign policy, and a democracy and economy that serves working people. In 2022, he led the negotiations and helped pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first federal anti-gun violence bill in 30 years.  Prior to his election to the US Senate, Murphy served Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District for three terms in the US House of Representatives. During his time in the House, he worked to foster job creation, advocate for affordable health care for all Americans, and improve homeless veterans’ access to housing. Before being elected to Congress, Murphy served for eight years in the Connecticut General Assembly.  Senator Murphy grew up in Wethersfield, Connecticut, and attended Williams College in Massachusetts before earning a law degree from the University of Connecticut.

    18 min
  3. Crime, Policy, and What Has Changed with Charles Fain Lehman

    May 13

    Crime, Policy, and What Has Changed with Charles Fain Lehman

    Answering the why of crime trends is frequently much harder than answering the what. The same data inevitably leads to very different explanations depending on how you interpret them and what you think is driving them, and there are rarely “right” answers. The numbers are fairly clear, the reasons behind that are not. To get at some of the reasons why crime has trended as it as I’m turning to Charles Fain Lehman, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute who focuses on crime, disorder, and what he describes as the public policy of antisocial behavior. In this episode, we talk through the differences in how we can explain what’s happening now, the role of policing and social factors, and how concepts like disorder shape how people experience safety in ways that don’t always show up in traditional metrics. Charles Fain Lehman is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and senior editor of City Journal. He focuses primarily on the public policy of antisocial behavior, including issues of crime, drugs, and public disorder. His work has appeared in outlets including the New York Times, Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, and National Review, and he has discussed policy issues before the Senate, House of Representatives, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

    46 min
  4. Investigating Crimes That Were Never Meant to be Reopened with Jill Collen Jefferson

    May 6

    Investigating Crimes That Were Never Meant to be Reopened with Jill Collen Jefferson

    Sometimes the hardest part about a crime isn't figuring out what happened — it's revisiting what's already been decided. Once a case is closed and a conclusion settles in, changing that can be just as difficult as investigating it was in the first place. My guest today is Jill Collin Jefferson, a civil and human rights attorney and the founder of JULIAN, an organization focused on investigating modern-day lynchings. JULIAN works with families and communities seeking answers in cases that have often gone unresolved or unquestioned. In this episode, we talk about how Jill approaches this work, how cases reach her in the first place, and what it takes to reexamine investigations that others have already moved on from. Jill walks us through the Willie Andrew Jones Jr. case in Mississippi, her arrest in Lexington while monitoring police, and the contentious relationships that come with exposing gaps in law enforcement investigations. Jill Collen Jefferson, JULIAN’s founder and Executive Director, is a civil and human rights attorney who grew up in the racism and de facto segregation of rural Mississippi and was trained by the leaders of the civil rights movement. She was mentored by the great civil rights leader Julian Bond, the organization’s namesake, who taught her civil rights history and strategy. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she is now faculty in its Trial Advocacy Workshop. She hails from a farm in southeastern Mississippi.

    28 min
  5. How Criminal Justice Policy Gets Made In The White House With Rachel Harmon

    Apr 29

    How Criminal Justice Policy Gets Made In The White House With Rachel Harmon

    What happens when the people shaping national crime policy don’t actually have the data they need? In this episode, I sit down with Rachel Harmon, law professor at the University of Virginia who previously served as a senior policy adviser for criminal justice for the White House Domestic Policy Council.  Rachel provides a rare inside look at how crime policy really gets made, breaking down  what it’s like working inside the White House -- where decisions move fast, data moves slow, and the pressure to respond to public fear doesn’t wait for evidence to catch up. She explains why even basic questions, like how big a problem carjacking actually is, can be nearly impossible to answer in real time, and how that gap shapes policy decisions. The conversation dives into the messy reality behind “data-driven policy,” including: Why crime data often arrives too late to guide decisionsHow political pressure competes with long-term strategyWhat it takes to actually implement policy after it’s announcedAnd why the U.S. still lacks basic data on policing, charges, and outcomesTune in for a fun, informative conversation on the messy business of making Federal criminal justice policy.  Rachel Harmon is the Harrison Robertson Professor of Law and directs the Center for Criminal Justice at the University of Virginia School of Law. She is one of the nation’s leading scholars on policing and the law.

    46 min
  6. Covering the FBI and DOJ in 2026 with Ken Dilanian

    Apr 22

    Covering the FBI and DOJ in 2026 with Ken Dilanian

    Ken Dilanian is a seasoned journalist covering the Justice Department and FBI,  and in this episode he shares his insights on the evolving landscape of covering those agencies. We talk about crime data, the challenges of media coverage in 2026, the impact of political shifts on justice institutions, and a whole lot more in this jam-packed conversation.   There are few journalists in the country with a better front row seat to the Justice Department in 2026 and Ken paints a fascinating picture of what it takes to cover it.  Ken Dilanian is a veteran journalist covering the Justice Department, FBI, and national security for MSNBC (MSNOW), formerly NBC News. With over 30 years in journalism—including decades as a newspaper reporter—he specializes in intelligence, legal affairs, and federal law enforcement. He has reported extensively on crime data, public perception of crime, and the intersection of politics and justice.  Follow Ken's work at: MSNBC / MSNOW – National security & justice coverage

    38 min
  7. The Future of Criminal Justice in New Orleans with Mayor Helena Moreno

    Apr 15

    The Future of Criminal Justice in New Orleans with Mayor Helena Moreno

    New Orleans has had one of the nation's highest murder rates every year for decades. Since 2023, however, violent crime has dropped sharply — and in this episode, I talk with Mayor Helena Moreno about crime and criminal justice in New Orleans. We discuss the city's difficulties, like a severe budget crisis and the ongoing challenge of abysmally low sexual assault clearance rates, as well as the city's successes.  Mayor Moreno has had a front row seat to the city's crime rise and subsequent decline, and she details what she attributes the historic drop to — a combination of prevention investments like expanded summer jobs programs and violence intervention, targeted policing of the most violent offenders, and critical partnerships with state and federal law enforcement. Crime and criminal justice issues in New Orleans are often a microcosm of what is happening nationally, and this conversation puts a spotlight on how to attack problems happening both in New Orleans and throughout the country. Mayor Helena Moreno is a leader whose path to City Hall began not in politics, but as an Emmy-winning investigative reporter at WDSU. After years of exposing systemic failures behind the anchor desk, Moreno transitioned to public service in 2010, eventually serving as City Council President before her historic mayoral victory in 2025. Throughout her career, she has been a tireless advocate for accountability and equity—spearheading reforms ranging from cannabis decriminalization and renewable energy initiatives to expanded protections for sexual assault survivors. Born in Mexico and fueled by her early experiences as an immigrant, Mayor Moreno now brings that same spirit of urgency and responsiveness to the city’s highest office.

    37 min
  8. Turning Policing Research into Real-World Action With Carlee Ruiz

    Apr 8

    Turning Policing Research into Real-World Action With Carlee Ruiz

    I talk a lot about crime analysis and analyzing crime data, but I realized that I’ve never actually talked to a crime analyst yet. To correct this, I’m talking with Carlee Ruiz, a former crime analyst and policing researcher, discussing how she bridges the gap between academic research and real-world law enforcement through her platform, Police Research Hub. Carlee highlights how valuable evidence-based insights are often inaccessible or underused, and explores the growing role of data, AI, and technologies like real-time crime centers in policing. The conversation also examines the balance between anecdotal experience and empirical evidence, emphasizing that context and implementation matter. Ruiz further discusses recruitment and retention challenges, pointing to leadership and organizational culture as key drivers of officer turnover. Carlee Ruiz is a former crime and intelligence analyst with the Modesto Police Department and now works in research and technical assistance for law enforcement agencies at RTI International. She saw firsthand that much of the research useful to officers wasn’t easily accessible, which inspired her to create a website that translates peer-reviewed studies into practical, actionable insights for policing. Resources Police Research Hub Follow the Jeff-alytics Podcast: Instagram: @RealTimeCrimeIndexLinkedIn: Real-Time Crime IndexWebsite: The Jeff-alytics Podcast

    32 min
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Trailer

4.8
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Can data uncover the real story of crime and justice in America?  Jeff Asher—nationally recognized crime data analyst, co-founder of AH Datalytics, co-creator of the Real Time Crime Index, and author of the Jeff-alytics Substack—sits down with policymakers, academics, journalists, and everyday people to reveal what the numbers actually show. Each episode challenges the myths we believe, exposes the gap between headlines and reality, and asks: what happens when we finally see crime clearly?  New episodes drop every other week! Visit ahdatalytics.com to learn more.

Information

  • Creator
    AH Datalytics
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Jeff-alytics Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Jeff-alytics Podcast

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