Community Policing

Victor E. Kappeler, a former police officer, is a Foundation Professor and Dean of the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. He is recognized as a leading scholar in such fields as policing, media and the social construction of crime, and police civil liability, among other related fields. Dr. Kappeler continues to provide in-service training for police officers and is well published in professional areas of policing. Among many other honors, Kappeler received the 2006 Cabinet for Justice and Public Safety Award for Academic Excellence, the 2005 Outstanding Criminal Justice Alumnus Award from Sam Houston State University, where he earned his doctoral degree, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Criminology's Division on Critical Criminology.

Larry K. Gaines is Professor and Chair of the Criminal Justice Department at California State University, San Bernardino. He served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police for 14 years and has consulted with a variety of police agencies in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, and California. Dr. Gaines has served as Secretary, Treasurer, and President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. He has received many awards, including the Founders Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the Outstanding Educator Award from the Southern Criminal Justice Association, and the Outstanding Service Award from the Police Section of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. In 2001, he served as a member of the California POST Committee that developed police training curricula for racial profiling.

Brian P. Schaefer is Assistant Professor in the School of Criminology and Security Studies at Indiana State University. He has collaborated with a variety of police agencies in Kentucky and Indiana on problem-oriented policing, body-worn camera implementation, police training, and cybercrime projects. He previously worked as a research associate at the Southern Police Institute (University of Louisville) and currently serves as a Commonwealth Scholar at the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky (University of Louisville) and a research fellow at the National Center for Spectator Sports and Security Center (University of Southern Mississippi). He is the recipient of the Educational Excellence Award in Research at Indiana State University.