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DJ Summers

Director of Policy & Research

For media inquiries, please contact cinamon@csinstituteus.org

DJ Summers is Common Sense Institute’s Director of Policy and Research. He oversees the stages of CSI’s fellows and research staff, coordinates with partners, iterates and analyzes projects, and breaks down findings for the public, legislators, and commercial leaders. 

Prior to CSI, DJ attended the University of Utah and Syracuse University. He worked as a journalist, investigator, and political researcher across the U.S. from Washington, D.C. to Alaska. DJ has a drive to understand complex truths and make them clear and accessible to the public and its leaders alike.

DJ lives in Denver and is a classically trained pianist. He devotes his spare time to practicing and studying music. When not at the piano bench, he has a regimen of strength training, combat sports, and enjoying good Colorado beer.

Expert's Work
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Infrastructure
The Road to Recovery: Downtown Denver

Denver’s downtown foot traffic is only 67% of what it was in 2019—16th lowest among the 55 U.S. cities examined.

October 30, 2024 Kelly Jean BroughDJ Summers
Crime & Public Safety
Colorado Crime Update: Colorado 8th in Violent Crime, 4th in Property Crime, 4th in Auto Theft

Even though Colorado’s violent crime rate came down in 2023 from a peak in 2022, it is still at an elevated rate equivalent to the average rate of violent crime during the mid-nineteen nineties (1994 and 11

October 18, 2024 DJ Summers
Crime & Public Safety
Human Trafficking in Colorado: 2023 New Record Year for Trafficking Crimes

Colorado’s crime surge in the early 2020s was not limited to property and violent crimes. Human trafficking also surged.

October 02, 2024 DJ Summers
Healthcare
Colorado’s Ranking on Maternal Healthcare: Costs and Options

CSI examined 13 maternity outcomes and indicators. Colorado outperforms other U.S. states in six, is in line with the average in four, and underperforms in three.

Jobs & Our Economy
Downtown’s sluggish recovery costing Denver tens of millions in unrealized sales tax revenues, study finds
The Denver Post

Restoring a “sense of safety and security” could help bring people back to city’s core neighborhoods, Common Sense Institute says.

October 31, 2024 Kelly Jean BroughDJ Summers
Crime & Public Safety
Common Sense Institute's DJ Summers talks about the FBI updating crime data
KOA Colorado

Common Sense Institute's DJ Summers talks about the FBI updating crime data

October 18, 2024 DJ Summers
Taxes & Fees
Town hall: Regional leaders delve into Denver's illegal immigration crisis
Colorado Politics

Panelists agree the federal government is not stepping in to fix growing crisis.

May 10, 2024 DJ Summers
Housing & Our Community
CSI’s DJ Summers talks about the new Colorado property tax relief proposal
KOA Colorado

DJ Summers talks about the new Colorado property tax relief proposal.

May 09, 2024 DJ Summers
Jobs & Our Economy
Understanding Inflation: How much misery is inflation causing?

In this episode, host DJ Summers sits down with Chris Brown, Vice President of Policy & Research at the Common Sense Institute, to break down the multi-year inflationary cycle that’s become a central issue

October 21, 2024 Chris BrownDJ Summers
Healthcare
Maternal Care Matters: A Deep Dive into Health Equity

In this episode of Colorado Clarity, we sit down with Dr. Reggie Washington to discuss the critical state of maternal healthcare.

Ballot Issues
Fighting Crime: The Power of Proposition 130

In this episode, host DJ Summers is joined by Former Chief of Police and CSI Public Safety Fellow Paul Pazen to discuss the pressing issue of rising crime rates and the upcoming November Ballot Initiative,

September 30, 2024 Chief Paul PazenDJ Summers