Law Enforcement in the United States

James (Jim) Conser is Professor Emeritus at Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio. He earned an A.B. degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Youngstown State University, an M.S. degree in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University, and a PhD in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University.He began his career as a police officer in Arlington County, Virginia in 1972. He has held academic and university administrative positions (instructor, professor, department chair, and assistant dean) since 1975. He was an Assistant Executive Director of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) from 1999 through 2002. Jim is a Certified Protection Professional through ASIS International. He is coauthor of two textbooks: Law Enforcement in the United States, Second Edition' and The Police Personnel System; and has contributed several chapters to other texts.He is a lifetime member, and former National Secretary, of Police Futurists International. He also is a lifetime member of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and a member of the American Society for Industrial Security, the World Futures Society, the Ohio Crime Prevention Association, and the Ohio Council of Criminal Educators. Jim serves his local community as a volunteer firefighter. He and his wife have three married daughters, and four grandchildren.

Rebecca Paynich earned a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (2000) and Ph.D. in Political Science (2003) from Washington State University, and currently teaches at Curry College, in Milton, MA. Dr. Paynich's teaching skills take a generalist approach toward the Criminal Justice field. She holds classes in statistics, crime mapping, corrections, police, criminal justice ethics, criminology, criminal justice policy, and many others.Dr. Paynich has been involved in several research projects throughout her academic career including work as a researcher on the Project Safe Neighborhood grant for the state of North Dakota. While her primary research interests revolve around law enforcement, she also does work in the areas of criminal justice theory and policy, and crime mapping. She has coauthored two books, Law Enforcement in the United States, Second Edition, and The Fundamentals of Crime Mapping: Principles and Practice. She has also published in Police Practice and Research: An International Journal and Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. She is married and has two children.

Dr. Terry E. Gingerich is an'associate professor of criminal justice at Western Oregon University. He earned his Ph.D. from Washington State University in 2002. He also holds a MA from California State University Los Angeles and a BA from the University of San Francisco. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Gingerich served 25 years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, retiring in 1996 as a sergeant. He worked a variety of assignments with the LASD, including tours in custody, patrol, administration, and detective divisions. Prior to joining the LASD, he was a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, Washington DC. He served four and half years in the USMC (1963-1968). He holds basic, intermediate, advanced, and supervisory certificates from the California Commission of Police Officer Standards and Training.Dr. Gingerich has coauthored one book: Law Enforcement in the United States, Second Edition, and published a chapter in the World Encyclopedia of Police and Correctional Systems (2006). He has also published in the Asian Journal of Criminology, the Justice Policy Journal and Asian Politics and Policy. He is a member of the Police Administration Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the Asian Association of Police Studies. Dr. Gingerich's research interest include: police history, criminal justice policy, comparative criminal justice, and police management. He is married and has five children and six grandchildren