Andre Richards Named One of Triangle Business Journal’s ‘40 Under 40’ Award Recipients

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Andre Richards, a policing research analyst at RTI International (RTI), a nonprofit research institute, has been named one of the Triangle Business Journal’s 2021 “40 Under 40” honorees. The award recognizes individuals in the Triangle area for their contributions to their organizations and the community.

Richards served for more than a decade as a law enforcement officer in the Durham Police Department (DPD) before transitioning into a full-time role within RTI’s Policing Research Program in 2018. During his time with the DPD, Richards served as a Corporal for the Special Victims Unit (SVU) where he was responsible for assigning, reviewing and investigating sexual assault and child abuse cases within the community.

“With several years of on-the-ground experience as a law enforcement officer, Andre has been a huge asset to our policing research portfolio at RTI,” said Duren Banks, division vice president for Applied Justice Research at RTI. “He is committed to using his personal experiences to improve policing within his community and nationwide as part of efforts to fulfill RTI’s mission of improving the human condition.”

In addition to his work within the SVU, Richards held investigative assignments in the homicide unit and within property crimes. Using learnings from those experiences, his research at RTI primarily aims to assist officers through researching and providing recommendations on improvements to law enforcement operations. He provides support for training and technical assistance programs, designed to further the use of best practices and evidence-based approaches throughout law enforcement agencies.

Recently, Richards assisted in the development of a new guide designed to assist police detectives with the investigation of sexual assault crimes. The project involved coordinating with criminal justice experts from various disciplines and was distributed nationally in 2020. The guide is currently used to ensure that detectives and investigators with limited resources have access to helpful trainings.

Richards is the co-lead of RTI’s VALoR Employee Resource Group for Veterans. Following the murder of George Floyd last year and the conversations of police reform that followed, Richards joined RTI’s racial equity task force and co-authored a blog on the topic, recommending an evidence-based approach to drive reformation efforts. The piece led to new partnerships and contracts within RTI’s policing research division.

Outside of his contributions at RTI, Richards is a volunteer for two organizations that support the families of fallen service members, the Travis Marion Foundation and Raleigh Police Foundation. Through these organizations, he has participated in fundraising events and community revitalization projects.

Richards is a Veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Afghanistan in 2004. In 2020, he received his master’s in business administration from Liberty University, where he also received his undergraduate degree.

Richards was selected from a pool of about 200 ‘40 Under 40’ nominees. To read more about his nomination, click here.

About Triangle Business Journal
The Triangle Business Journal is a multi-platform media company providing in-depth coverage of local business communities and breaking news reaching more than 491,000 readers each week. Through print, digital products such as its twice-a-day emailed news digests and face-to-face events, the Business Journal offers business leaders many avenues for making connections and gives them a competitive edge locally, regionally and nationally. Visit us at bizjournals.com/triangle to learn more.

About RTI International
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach — one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering and international development. We believe in the promise of science, and we are inspired every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities and businesses around the world. For more information, visit www.rti.org.