Anita Ravishankar is a principal research associate in the Justice and Safety Division at the Urban Institute, where she leads research and technical assistance efforts on policing and community safety. She is interested in policing and technological advancement (including use of artificial intelligence and social media), police performance management and supervision, and both law enforcement– and community-led approaches to violence reduction.

Before joining Urban, Ravishankar directed criminal justice research investments at Arnold Ventures, where she oversaw research strategies on police accountability, traffic enforcement, alternatives to crisis response, and violence reduction. She managed a portfolio of $30 million in active projects and developed $15 to $20 million in additional investments annually.

Previously, as a founding member of The Lab @ DC and the research and innovation team within the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Ravishankar led multiple public safety research and evaluation projects, including randomized evaluations of the efficacy of police body-worn cameras (published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) and the introduction of a novel cultural training program at MPD. She also designed and executed innovative efforts to promote police and community engagement, including a multipart virtual workshop series on reimagining police stops in the District.

Ravishankar holds a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, and international affairs from Georgetown University and a doctoral degree in political science and public policy from the University of Michigan.