FOR RELEASE
May 12, 2021
CONTACT:
Tim Spreitzer
Stoneleigh Foundation
215-514-0170 | tspreitzer@tierneyagency.com
PHILADELPHIA – The Stoneleigh Foundation and the Philadelphia Police Department announced today that Nicola “Nikki” Smith-Kea is joining the Department as a Stoneleigh Fellow and Executive in Residence. In her role, Smith-Kea will work with the Department’s Chief Strategy Officer to develop and promote police accountability, wellness, and community engagement practices.
“I am thrilled to welcome Nikki Smith-Kea to the Philadelphia Police Department and look forward to working with her to continue to advance our efforts to bring about transformational change to the organization,” said Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. “Nikki has extensive national experience working with a broad spectrum of law enforcement agencies. We will benefit enormously from her experience as we continue to build and, in some cases, rebuild trust with the communities we serve.”
Smith-Kea is a highly respected change agent, with deep expertise in and passion for the criminal justice field. She has extensive national experience in gender equity in policing; policing at the intersection of mental health, substance use, and homelessness; community policing; violent crime reduction; and policing reform – helping jurisdictions improve their responses to people in crisis. As a scholar-practitioner with significant experience in policy, research and analysis at the international, national, and local levels, Smith-Kea is skilled at working with and managing teams with diverse interests.
“I am honored to join the incredible team at the Philadelphia Police Department. I look forward to continuing to build a model to promote police accountability, wellness, and community engagement,” said Smith-Kea. “Under Commissioner Outlaw’s leadership and in partnership with the community, we can achieve a strong future for law enforcement in Philadelphia.”
Smith-Kea will work on a series of long-term projects that will support the complex reform efforts outlined in the Department’s Crime Prevention & Violence Reduction Action Plan (Action Plan), by employing four levers: (1) assessing selected units within the Office of Professional Responsibility; (2) supporting an improved Early Intervention System and promoting officer wellness; (3) successfully implementing the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) program; and (4) supporting the implementation of a re-engineered Compstat process (Compstat360), focusing on violence reduction, accountability, and community engagement. Each of the identified projects will comprise a series of deliverables, including process maps, metrics and case studies, and documentation of successes and challenges in transforming the PPD’s accountability, wellness, and community engagement practices and systems.
“Stoneleigh Foundation is proud to partner with the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Police Department to support this Fellowship,” said Ronnie Bloom, Executive Director of the Stoneleigh Foundation. “The Foundation’s mission is to improve the life outcomes of our community’s youth by advancing change in the systems that serve them, and this Fellowship is an incredible opportunity to work within and alongside these systems to catalyze reform.”
Smith-Kea holds a PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch University. She received an M.A. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University and an M.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park. She also holds an M.S. in Sociology and a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica.
About Stoneleigh Foundation
The Stoneleigh Foundation was founded in 2006 by John and Chara Haas to improve the life outcomes of our community’s youth. We meet our mission by awarding Fellowships to exceptional leaders who advance change in the systems that serve these young people.
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