PITTSBURGH — Dr. Tony Gaskew, associate dean of academic affairs and professor of criminal justice at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, took part in an online panel discussion to demystify recent calls for police reform, defunding and abolition.

The event, sponsored by Carlow University, was from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Tuesday online. Advance registration was required.

The event was moderated by Adrie Fells of the Social Justice Institutes at Carlow.

Gaskew is the author of the new book, “Stop Trying to Fix Policing: Lessons Learned from the Front Lines of Black Liberation.”

He has an extensive professional and academic career in the field of criminal justice. He has more than 20 years of policing experience. In 2006, Gaskew joined the faculty at Pitt-Bradford, where he is the founding director of Pitt-Bradford’s Prison Education Program, creating post-secondary initiatives at Federal Correctional Institution McKean and State Correctional Institution Forest.

Gaskew is a faculty affiliate in Africana studies, with a research specialty in Critical Race Theory. Courses he teaches include Police and Society: Race, Crime and Justice; The Policing Culture: Politics, Community and Accountability: and Special Topics in Policing: Police Abolition.

Others joining Gaskew are Reina Sultan, journalist and co-creator of BtoAbolition; Dr. Norman Conti, professor of sociology at Duquesne University and co-founder of the Elsinore Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice; Brandi Fisher, president and chief executive officer of Alliance for Police Accountability; Dolly Prabhu, attorney and Equal Justice Works Fellow at the American Abolitionist Law Center; and Tiffany Kline-Costa, community engagement officer for City of Pittsburgh police.