Thomas Hargrove

Describe your dissertation, thesis, or capstone (if you completed one):

The FBI adoption of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) in 2021 as the mandatory reporting standard for crime data resulted in an unprecedented decline in police reporting to the federal government. Only 57% of the nation’s homicides were reported that year. This study obtained more than 6,000 unreported homicides from local and state police agencies using Freedom of Information Act and Open Record Act requests. The study compared FBI data and the study’s augmented dataset for accuracy and completeness using the National Vital Statistics System as a reference. This study also used a 3,134-county regression analysis to explore the socioeconomic factors associated with police decisions to participate, or to decline participation, in the more complex NIBRS program.

How did you choose your specific area of study?

After retiring from a 37-year career as an investigative journalist and former White House correspondent, I created a nonprofit organization (Murder Accountability Project) which has assembled the nation's most complete accounting of homicides. The creation of MAP resulted in my instant-celebrity, unfortunately. I decided that since I've become an "expert" in violent crime, I should learn something about the subject matter. George Mason University has one of the nation's best criminology departments and has taught me much about this complex and challenging field.

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you?

I'm particularly grateful for the rigorous statistical training I received in the Criminology, Law and Society program. I spent most of my professional life knowing about multi-variate regression analysis, but not being competent to employ this powerful statistical process. Thanks to Mason, that has changed. The idea of statistically tackling complex social issues like crime no longer frightens me.

Of which accomplishment(s) during your time at Mason are you most proud?

During the two-year process of researching and writing my thesis, I was able to obtain records on more than 6,000 homicides that were not reported to the U.S. Department of Justice. This helped partially plug a very large data hole during a period of unusually high murder rates following the 2020 police killing of George Floyd. This non-governmental intervention for crime data collection has resulted in a dataset that is far more complete and accurate than the "official" data released by the FBI in 2021. Scholars around the nation are already using these data in their work.

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your Mason career?

All of my professors were wonderful. But there are two who really stood out: Prof. Beidi Dong patiently and consistently supported my thesis work, always asking the right questions and teaching me statistical procedures I hadn’t learned yet. The quality of this project grew considerably under his tutelage. Prof. David Wilson provided most of my statistical training and readily agreed to be a member of my thesis committee. Dr. Wilson challenged me to work to understand rapidly evolving statistical methods.

What advice would you give to an incoming cohort of graduate students?

Take all of the statistical and methodological training you can, then apply these powerful techniques to challenge social biases. Never assume authority -- at any level -- is correct. As lucky cub reporters are patiently taught by gruff but kindly editors: Check It Out!

What are your current career plans following graduation? What are your long-term career goals?

I'm "retired" which means I no longer need to chase a paycheck. So as Founder and Chairman of a nonprofit organization, I'm enjoying the best job I ever had. First up, MAP must finish its four-year federal lawsuit against the FBI, seeking to compel the Bureau to report homicide data that they were required by law (but ignored) to give to the American people. After we win, we'll delve into these newly available data to determine if there are unusual patterns to Native American murders, as has been widely claimed. After that, who knows? Crime is a mighty broad subject. We're only just getting started.