University Programs
The Caruth Police Institute
The Caruth Police Institute was created by a primary partnership between the Dallas Police Department and the University of North Texas at Dallas in 2008. The University of North Texas System and the main campus of the University of North Texas at Denton provided support, and an affiliated relationship with the University of Texas at Dallas, which offers a doctoral program in criminology as well as assistance with research projects, is maintained.
The Caruth Police Institute was funded with an inital grant of $9.5 million from the Communities Foundation of Texas, and focuses on fulfilling the complex research, career advancement, and leadership development needs of the Dallas Police Department. Caruth Police Institute utilizes the unique expertise and vast knowledge base of its faculty, including Executive Director Robert W. Taylor, PhD, and Associate Director for Training and Education Rick Smith, PhD, to design and deliver unique professional development and leadership curriculum for the Dallas Police Department. The Caruth Police Institute is also able to draw from a number of faculty resources at collaborating universities and policing organizations both in North Texas and across the country. This puts the Dallas Police Department in the unique position of being a national resource for innovative strategies in policing. This venture signifies a bold new relationship between academia and major police departments characterized by cutting-edge research, education, and professional development services.