Dr. L.J. Samuel is a criminologist with expertise in police-community relations, police misconduct, risk management, community engagement, and interpersonal violence. With over ten years working with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, DC she is a leading expert in Early Identification and Intervention System (EIS). She also served as the Director of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Division. A forward thinker and innovator, Dr. Samuel created and oversaw the MPD Fitness Challenge, a health and wellness initiative designed to better the health of MPD officers. This hard work and dedication earned her the honor of the 2012 MPD Employee of the Year.
In 2015 Dr. Samuel noticed an escalation in violence against women incidents based on police reports and news stories. In response, she created Cupid’s Sting, an interpersonal violence reduction program. The mission of Cupid’s Sting is to teach women life-saving skills through one day workshops on interpersonal violence, domestic violence, and street harassment, including demonstration and practice of self-defense techniques. A former professor at Howard University, she developed and facilitated workshops on dating abuse, situational awareness, and self-defense for her students. She introduced the Cupid’s Sting program at the 2017 Women’s Empowerment Expo in Washington, DC and was the keynote speaker for the All about the Sisters launch in New York, NY in January 2018. Dr. Samuel also led a talk on interpersonal violence for the Lions Club International-Toronto this year. Dr. Samuel has been featured in The Brampton Guardian, The Southwester, The Hill Rag, and on news programs Wake Up Washington and WUSA9.
Dr. Samuel writes a blog called “You Have the Right to Remain Informed” that focuses on crime tips for women, information on victimization, and policing. She is also the author of the novel Dear Diary, a murder mystery set in the Nation’s Capital. Dr. Samuel lives in Brampton with her dog Shoe and loves hanging out with her family and working out.
In today’s episode L.J. Shares:
- a greater understanding of women’s safety issues
- tips and information women can employ to protect themselves if victimized
- Important resources for women who have been victimized
Dr. Samuel discusses how women generally tend to be afraid of stranger violence but the majority of their victimization occurs within the home by the hands of an intimate partner. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified this issue with more and more women being victimized. In this episode she unpacks this issue and gives readers and listeners some practical tips to protect themselves.
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