Robert Owens is the Director for Public Safety at the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, where he leads work on the implementation of the Public Safety Task Force’s strategic plan spanning workforce development, police and public safety infrastructural investments, community development investments, scaling and capacity-building for community violence intervention (CVI) programs.

He has worked on public safety and good government issues as a researcher, teacher, consultant, government auditor, and in strategic planning and implementation roles. He is currently a lecturer at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on police reform, legitimacy theory, and government oversight and administration.

He earned his PhD in Sociology at the University of Chicago, a Masters in Legal Studies at the University of Chicago Law School, and an AB cum laude in Social Studies from Harvard University.