Scott Decker appointed to prestigious criminal justice forecasting board

Arizona State University criminology professor Scott Decker has been selected to serve on the board of the Bureau of Justice Assistance Law Enforcement Forecasting Group. The board consists of 20 law enforcement executives and criminal justice researchers from throughout the United States. They identify emerging issues and review tactics and strategies that can help law enforcement agencies better serve their communities.

“Only a small number of researchers are involved in the Forecasting Group, which advises the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance on future plans for federal funding for the criminal justice system,” Decker says. “BJA is the primary source of federal funding for state and local criminal justice agencies and sets a nationwide agenda for criminal justice. It is my hope to bring evidence based solutions to the challenges facing law enforcement and the criminal justice system.”

Decker is a Foundation professor at ASU’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the College of Public Service and Community Solutions. A renowned expert on gangs and criminal justice policy, Decker’s research also focuses on criminal justice policy, violence, and the offender’s prospective.  He was named a Fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in 2007 and given the title of Fellow by the American Society of Criminolgy in 2012. He his regularly invited to speak about gangs and crime policy at conferences in the United States and abroad.

 “Scott’s appointment to this prestigious body is a testament to the important and policy relevant work that he has done on policing over the course of his career,” says Cassia Spohn, director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. “He is one of only a few policing scholars in the United States with the breadth and depth of experience necessary to serve on a panel like this.”