Tracie L. Keesee, PhD

Dr. Tracie L. Keesee is a law enforcement leader, scholar, and social justice advocate whose career spans more than two decades in policing, institutional reform, and research. A retired veteran of the Denver Police Department and former deputy commissioner of the New York Police Department, Keesee has served at the intersection of public safety and equity. She was the first African American woman to serve as a Denver Police division chief and held roles including public information officer, internal affairs, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and division chief. Keesee retired as a captain, with her final assignment as deputy director of the Colorado Information Analysis Center, the State of Colorado's fusion center.

Keesee is the co-founder of the Center for Policing Equity, an organization that promotes police transparency and accountability through research collaborations between law enforcement agencies and social scientists. The center focuses on justice through science and is recognized for its work on bias in policing. Keesee applies data-driven and evidence-based interventions to help law enforcement agencies create more equitable outcomes and reduce harm. She also served as project director of the Department of Justice-funded National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice Initiative, which aims to improve relationships and increase trust between minority communities and the criminal justice system.

Keesee took a sabbatical from the Center for Policing Equity to serve the New York Police Department in several roles, including deputy commissioner of training and the first deputy commissioner of equity and inclusion. In these positions, she directed the implementation of initiatives such as restructuring the recruitment curriculum, expanding in-service training through NYPD University, and developing the department's equity and inclusion strategic framework. Keesee advised the police commissioner on accountability systems for training, recruitment, employee opportunities, and complaints, supporting efforts to attract and retain a diverse workforce.

Internationally, Keesee was appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council president to serve as a member of a body focused on advancing racial justice and equality in law enforcement globally. This mechanism addresses the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and people of African descent against excessive use of force and other violations by law enforcement officers. Keesee also accepted a full-time associate professor position with the University of Virginia School of Professional and Continuing Studies, contributing to the education of future public safety professionals.

Keesee holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Metropolitan State College-Denver, academic certifications in public policy and public administration, a Master of Arts in criminal justice from the University of Colorado at Denver, a Ph.D. in intercultural communications from the University of Denver, and a diversity and inclusion certification from Cornell University. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia. Keesee has published articles in collected anthologies and peer-reviewed scientific journals and has delivered a TED Talk on systemic reform and community-centered public safety. Her career demonstrates the impact of combining law enforcement experience with scholarship to drive meaningful change in public safety, police reform, and social justice.