Who We Are

Advancing Public Safety Through Research, Innovation, and Partnership

National Reach, Proven Impact

From powering statewide traffic analytics engines to deploying specialized law enforcement tools, CAPS builds custom-driven solutions that scale across state lines to protect communities across the country.

Direct partnerships (red) represent states with custom software and enterprise deployments. Affiliated partnerships (blue) represent states with research collaborations and regional safety initiatives.

Boards and Associations

National Leadership

CAPS faculty and staff actively serve on national committees, advisory boards, and professional organizations that help shape transportation safety research and policy.

University Collaboration

As part of The University of Alabama, CAPS partners with faculty across engineering, computer science, public policy, and social sciences to solve multidisciplinary challenges.

Industry Partnership

Our work is strengthened through long-standing collaborations with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and private industry partners.

Research Networks

CAPS contributes to collaborative research initiatives that advance transportation safety through shared knowledge, innovation, and evidence-based practices.

Professional Associations

Our team actively participates in organizations dedicated to transportation engineering, traffic safety, public safety, and data science.

Impact beyond Alabama

While proudly based in Alabama, CAPS supports initiatives and partnerships that improve transportation safety across the nation.

Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering


CAPS is an affiliated research center of the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering at The University of Alabama, where it brings together faculty and staff expertise and student talent to advance transportation safety and public safety technology.

Faculty & Staff
College

Careers

Build Solutions That Saves Lives

  • Mission-driven Work
  • Collaborative Culture
  • Continuous Learning
  • Meaningful Innovation
  • Statewide & National Impact

Join the CAPS Team

Whether you’re an experienced professional or an emerging researcher, CAPS offers opportunities to work on meaningful projects that combine research, technology, and public service. Explore careers where your expertise can make a lasting impact on transportation safety.

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The History of CAPS

The Center for Advanced Public Safety (CAPS) originated in the late 1980s when Dr. David Brown developed the Critical Analysis Reporting Environment (CARE)—a groundbreaking data analytics platform designed to help municipal agencies evaluate traffic crash records. Over time, Dr. Brown and a dedicated team formed the CARE Group, which evolved into the CARE Research and Development Laboratory (CRDL) as professional software developers were brought on to expand state-level traffic and law enforcement tools. During the 2000s, the laboratory spearheaded major digital initiatives—including the eCite electronic citation processing system and eCrash crash reporting system—establishing statewide adoption and transforming paper-bound agency workflows into secure, high-speed digital infrastructure.

Recognizing the lab’s rapid growth, interdisciplinary research impact, and expanding state partnerships, The University of Alabama Board of Trustees officially elevated the organization to center status on April 17, 2009, establishing the Center for Advanced Public Safety. Since gaining center status, CAPS has continued to broaden its footprint beyond law enforcement and traffic analytics to encompass public mobility platforms like ALGO Traffic, motor vehicle revenue systems, emergency medical services, and disaster and resilience research. Operating out of Cyber Hall, CAPS continues to combine faculty oversight with student technical talent to engineer enterprise solutions and inform public safety policy across state and national levels.