Ayobami Laniyonu

Assistant Professor
CG259
416-946-7442

Fields of Study

Areas of Interest

  • Criminal justice reform
  • Urban politics
  • Statistical methodologies, with a particular emphasis on spatial statistics

Biography

I am an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies at the University of Toronto. Previously, I served as Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Policing Equity in New York City, where I worked with police departments across the United States on empirical analyses designed to identify and correct racial disparities in police contact and use of force.

In past research, I have explored the relationship between gentrification and discriminatory policing practices, the effect of Stop and Frisk policing on voter turnout and candidate choice in New York City, and the political significance of a related type of policing in the United Kingdom, so called “Stop and Search” policing. I am also interested in comparing the attitudes, experiences, and politics of Afro-descendant people across national contexts and have done so here.

Ongoing & Future Research

My research interests include criminal justice reform, urban politics, and statistical methodologies, with a particular emphasis on spatial statistics. I am currently working on a series of projects that explore police use of force against the homeless and individuals with serious mental illness, the effect gentrification on eviction rates in large urban areas, and the effect of police violence on political behavior.

Courses Taught

Undergraduate
  • CRI 390H Topics in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies: The Politics of the Criminal Justice System
  • CRI 428H Neighbourhoods and Crime
Graduate
  • CRI 2010H Methodological Issues in Criminology & Sociolegal Studies

Publications

Education

BA (Hons.), Political Science and Sociology, University of Maryland
MA, Statistics, University of California, Los Angeles
PhD, Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles