Richard M. Aborn

President of Citizens Crime Commission

Richard M. Aborn is president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, a non-partisan nonprofit organization with multidisciplinary expertise that works to improve public safety through innovation. At the CCC, Aborn advances strategies to improve the justice system, strengthen gun policies and practices, prevent youth gun violence, and prevent cybercrime.

The CCC also works with law enforcement, government agencies, community-based organizations, and academia to implement effective, comprehensive strategies to prevent crime.  Under Aborn's leadership, the CCC launched the Predictive Prevention Lab, an incubator to develop predictive prevention solutions to enhance the effectiveness of crime prevention through behavior change.

Aborn began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, where he prosecuted major felonies, including homicides.  He was one of the principal strategists behind the passage of the landmark Brady Bill mandating background checks on firearm purchasers and legislation banning assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. At the same time, Aborn also served as president of the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, where he worked with the New York City public school system to develop a first-of-its-kind program to reduce gun injuries as part of the curriculum. During his tenure at the Center, he also established a research division to evaluate and supervise studies evaluating the impact of gun control legislation.

In addition to his work at the CCC, Aborn serves as president of CAAS LLC, which advises police departments, criminal justice agencies, corporations, and other organizations in the United States, Latin America, and Europe on criminal justice policy, violence reduction, and Rule of Law issues. He is also one of the managing partners of the international law firm Constantine Cannon and serves on the boards of directors of several nonprofit organizations.