Advancing Evidence-Based
Public Safety
This site focuses exclusively on my international work in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). For more than two decades, I have worked with governments, international organizations, and local stakeholders to diagnose violence-related challenges, identify their underlying drivers, and strengthen the capacity to respond through practical, evidence-informed strategies that improve community safety.
Tren de Aragua (TDA): Transnational Criminal Organization
Recently, Dr. Katz has been researching issues surrounding Tren de Aragua (TDA), a transnational criminal organization that originated in Venezuela and has since expanded its operations across Latin America and into the United States. His work combines field-based research, law enforcement intelligence, and academic analysis to study TDA’s criminal evolution — from its origins in Venezuelan prisons, to its growth into a transnational organization involved in human trafficking, extortion, drug trafficking, and migrant exploitation.
About
Researcher, educator, and advisor working at the intersection of criminology, public safety, and international development.
Dr. Charles M. Katz is the Watts Endowed Family Chair and Director of the Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety at Arizona State University. Although this website focuses on his international work, his broader portfolio spans substantial domestic and international research, evaluation, and advisory work. Across these settings, his work centers on helping governments, public safety agencies, and communities diagnose violence and public safety problems, identify the conditions that sustain them, and strengthen the capacity to respond through practical, evidence-informed strategies.
Over more than three decades, Dr. Katz has worked across the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean on issues including gangs, violence prevention, youth risk and resilience, crime analysis, police effectiveness, and program evaluation. He has served as principal investigator or lead researcher on projects supported by organizations such as USAID, DOJ, and DHS.
Research Interests
Quick Links
Featured Research
Key projects that represent the breadth and impact of Dr. Katz’s international work.
Youth Resilience, Inclusion, and Empowerment (Y-RIE)
USAID-sponsored program providing technical assistance and collaborating with the University of West Indies to develop the Caribbean-specific Y-RISC risk assessment instrument.
Proponte Mas Randomized Controlled Trial
The first randomized controlled trial of a family-based violence prevention program in Central America, demonstrating measurable improvements in family functioning and risk reduction.
CariSECURE Crime Analysis Training
Enhanced crime analysis capacity across 9 Caribbean nations and Suriname, providing 360+ hours of training to nearly 30 analysts — many becoming their nation’s first.
Evaluation of the Salvadorian Gang Truce
First rigorous analysis of a nationally brokered gang ceasefire in Central America, finding substantial short-term homicide reduction while identifying long-term sustainability challenges.
Recent Publications
Latest peer-reviewed research and reports.
Differences in ego networks between MS-13 gang members in Los Angeles and San Salvador
Family structure and delinquency in the English-speaking Caribbean
Legal socialization, perceptions of the police, and delinquency in three Caribbean nations
Global Research Impact
Dr. Katz’s international research spans two major regions of the Western Hemisphere.
Caribbean
11 major projects across 10+ nations
Latin America
9 major projects across Central America
Open Access Research
All publications on this site are freely available to academics, policymakers, and practitioners worldwide. Download any paper directly — no paywall, no login required.