Prof. James Densley

Dr. James Densley is an internationally recognized criminologist, bestselling author, and leading voice in violence prevention. He is Professor and Department Chair of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Metro State University and Co-Founder of The Violence Prevention Project Research Center ("The Violence Project") at Hamline University.

A former NYC Teaching Fellow and middle school special education teacher, Densley has authored nine books and edited two others, including The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic—winner of the 2022 Minnesota Book Award and described as "groundbreaking." His research has been featured by global media and published in 70+ scientific journals and 100+ popular outlets, including The New York Times, The Guardian, Newsweek, TIME, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

Densley earned a DPhil and MSc in Sociology from the University of Oxford (St. Antony's College), an MS in Teaching from Pace University, and a first-class honors BA in Sociology and American Studies from the University of Northampton. He has helped secure more than $10 million in research funding and is known for pioneering studies on street gangs, criminal networks, mass shootings, and policing. In 2019, he was named Metro State’s first University Scholar.

A sought-after speaker, Densley has delivered keynotes on four continents and testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the 9/11 Review Commission, and multiple legislative bodies. He has served as an expert witness in cases involving gangs and gun violence and has advised the United Nations, FBI, NIJ, OJJDP, Dstl, the UK Home Office, and the Metropolitan Police Service (London). In 2017, he received the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award for his community work.

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