MD
Susan Farag is a legislative analyst for the Montgomery County (Maryland) Council. With more than 15 years of experience in public safety policy, research, budgeting, and analysis, Susan advises the county council and other policy makers on affordable, evidence-based policing best practices. Her approach combines rigorous data analysis with a deep commitment to social justice, making her a pivotal figure in the county’s efforts to reform policing efforts, center racial equity, and mitigate unintended outcomes.
She has been tasked with multiple police reform roles over the past several years, including providing expert guidance on the county executive’s Task Force to Reimagine Public Safety, and the subsequent Implementation Committee, providing guidance as the county implements more than 400 police reform recommendations. She provides staffing support to the Advisory Commission on Policing, a community-based group that advises the council on police practices. Most recently, Susan has worked with the council, the Montgomery County Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies to fund and implement technology-based approaches to community safety. Additionally, she has provided census-tract level crime and victimization analyses that illustrate racial disparities in community safety, to aid the council as it approves and funds targeted policing initiatives.
Susan holds a J.D. degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. She is also pursuing certification in data analytics. Her primary areas of research interest are racial inequities in violent victimization, as well as improved community/police partnerships that strengthen public safety.