Jessica Gillooly, PhD

Education

• PhD, University of Michigan
• MPP, University of Chicago
• BA, Brown University

Research/Creative Interest

Dr. Gillooly is a national expert on 911 emergency response systems. Using a mix of quantitative, qualitative, and conversation analytic methods, her research on 911 dispatch has appeared in top criminology, policing, and legal sociology journals. Her work identifies tangible policy reforms aimed at improving the delivery of emergency services to vulnerable populations and has been featured in national media outlets including NPR, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The Hill.

Teaching Philosophy

Dr. Gillooly's teaching is rooted in a commitment to developing students as curious, critical thinkers who not only examine systemic inequalities in society but also imagine and build toward something better. Through assignments and experiences grounded in real-world practice, such as policy memos, op-eds, in class simulations, and off-campus site visits, she helps students cultivate the skills they need for careers in law, government, the non-profit sector, and other helping professions.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

• (2025 - Present). 911 subject matter expert, ACLU
• (2021 – Present). 911 subject matter expert, US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
• Gillooly, Jessica and David Thacher. (2025). How New Communications Technologies Shape Reactive Policing and Social Life. Presented at Harvard Law School's Legal History Workshop
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2025). The 911 Call-Taker's Choice: Sending the Right First Responder. Presented at UCSB's Language Interaction and Social Organization Worksho
• Gillooly, Jessica, and Barry Friedman. (2024). "The 911 Call-Taker's Choice: Sending the Right First Responder." Presented at the Annual Conference for the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM)
• Gillooly, Jessica and Seth Gershenson. February 5, 2023. 911 Call Centers. JPAM's Closer Look podcast. Episode 21

Grants, Awards, Honors & Recognitions

• Suffolk University Center for Teaching and Scholarly Excellence Innovative Teaching Award Recipient (2023)
• Raymond Vernon Memorial Award Winner for Best Paper published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (2022)
• Co-Principal Investigator. (2020-2022). “Reimagining Dispatch and Transforming First Response.” Microsoft Grant

Employment History

Dr. Gillooly has served as a 911 subject-matter expert for the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and currently does so for the ACLU.

Recent Scholarly or Creative Contributions

• Gillooly, Jessica and Barry Friedman. (2026). “Rethinking Rules for 911: Dispatching Alternative Responders in Denver and San Francisco.” Criminology & Public Policy, 25(1): 113-137
• Gillooly, Jessica and David Thacher. (2024). “How the Public Became the Caller: The Emergence of Reactive Policing, 1880-1970.” Law & Social Inquiry, 49(4): 2287- 2319.
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2023). “Collaborative Gatekeeping: Consensus-Seeking Practices Among Emergency Call-Takers.” Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 17, 1-10.
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2022). “Lights and Sirens: Variation in 911 Call-Taker Risk Appraisal and Its Effects on Police Officer Perceptions at the Scene.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 41(3), 762-786.
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2020). “How 911 Callers and Call-Takers Impact Police Encounters with the Public: The Case of the Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrest.” Criminology and Public Policy, 19(3), 787-804.

Selected Publications

• Gillooly, Jessica and David Thacher. (2024). “How the Public Became the Caller: The Emergence of Reactive Policing, 1880-1970.” Law & Social Inquiry, 1-33.
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2023) “Collaborative Gatekeeping: Consensus-Seeking Practices Among Emergency Call-Takers.” Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 17, 1-10.
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2022, June 4). “Why 911 dispatch is critical to the Uvalde shooting investigation.” The Hill.
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2022, January 7). “The First Lesson of Fielding 911 Calls: Don't be an alarmist.” The Los Angeles Times A-11.
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2021). “Lights and Sirens: Variation in 911 Call-Taker Risk Appraisal and Its Effects on Police Officer Perceptions at the Scene.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (JPAM).
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2020). “How 911 Callers and Call-Takers Impact Police Encounters with the Public: The Case of the Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrest.” Criminology and Public Policy.
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2020, July 27). The Missing Link in Police Reform: 911 Call-Takers. The Crime Report.
• Gillooly, Jessica. (2018, May 27). 911 operators need better training, too. The Washington Post, p. A19.

Personal Website

Visit Professor Gillooly's Personal Website