Rachel Murphy

Rachel Murphy is a Research and Policy Consultant with The Difference Engine at Arizona State University, where she leads legal research and writing for the groundbreaking New Policing Project. Murphy spearheads efforts to develop novel legal structures that empower communities to work directly with cities in building new public safety institutions that serve their specific needs. Through her work with ASU law students, she is helping construct an unprecedented model of community policing that places meaningful governance power in the hands of the communities being served, moving beyond traditional oversight roles to true community ownership of public safety. Her research focuses on creating replicable frameworks that can be packaged as an open-source "kit" for communities nationwide to build their own vision of safer, more just policing systems. Murphy brings extensive civil rights and legal advocacy experience to this work, having previously served with organizations including the ACLU of Illinois, Youth Law Center, and Public Advocates.