CCJ Faculty: Dr. Joseph Schafer

Joe Schafer, Ph.D., is the newest criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) professor at the Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice. An expert for the Criminal Justice Research Alliance on issues of policing and police organizations, he has also authored countless research articles, white papers and books. In this interview, Dr. Schafer talks about his professional background, why he joined SLU, and emerging trends in criminology and criminal justice.

Your background is impressive. Describe your past roles and work history.

I completed my doctoral studies in 2000 and started as an assistant professor at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois (SIUC). I was granted tenure and promotion to associate professor in 2005 and promoted again to professor in 2011. Over the years, I directed the undergraduate program, the graduate program, and I served as department chair for seven years. In that time I was involved in a variety of research projects and initiatives.

From 2006-2010 I directed the Center for Rural Violence and Justice Studies, which was funded by the federal government. We conducted several studies of intimate partner violence, criminal justice and social service partnerships, and criminal victimization in rural areas. I served as a visiting scholar at the Centre for Excellence in Policing and Security at Griffith University in Australia and twice as a visiting researcher with a federal agency. From 2003-2016, I was a member of the Futures Working Group (FWG), a collaboration between the Society of Police Futurists International (PFI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). I continue to work with PFI and the FWG (it is no longer sponsored by the FBI) on writing projects and I have been conducting training and professional development workshops for police leaders in the area of futures studies for over a decade.

I will be working to expand SLU’s involvement in serving the needs of local police organizations.

Since 2016, I have served the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) as a commissioner. In that role, I assist with the operational and management of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and help conduct the final assessment of whether agencies have meet CALEA standards for accreditation or reaccreditation. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with police organizations in a number of nations, including Canada, Hungary, Denmark, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. 

What do you plan to do in your new role here at SLU?

SLU has a strong and long-standing academic tradition of criminology and criminal justice scholarship and degree programs. Over the years, the faculty has built a great reputation as teachers and researchers, serving both SLU students and the criminal justice community. I am excited to join in this tradition and will be working to expand SLU’s involvement in serving the needs of local police organizations. 

What do you hope to accomplish at SLU?

Police organizations across the country find themselves receiving heightened scrutiny and attention. This is occurring simultaneously in an era when agencies are facing increasing competition for those interested in, and qualified for, employment as police officers. I hope to be of service to the public safety community in ways that meet their specific needs. It is my hope to find ways to involve SLU students in a variety of research and internship opportunities that are of mutual interest and benefit to those students and the public safety community. I will be striving to share my research experiences and knowledge with SLU students in the bachelor of criminology and criminal justice and master of criminology and criminal justice programs.

Why did you choose to work for SLU?

I grew up in a college town (Ames, Iowa, home of Iowa State University) as the son of a college professor. My father was a professor of agronomy (soil science) who had a life-long desire to use his time and talents to help advance agricultural practices in the hope of helping farmers do a better job feeding the world. He always loved working at ISU because it was a land grant school, which means it emphasized not only knowledge for the sake of advancing a given academic discipline, but knowledge for the sake of making the world a better place.

We are seeking to equip students with the skills they will need not just to enter into their profession, but to grow and develop.

When I was looking at graduate schools, I was drawn to Michigan State University, another land grant school, because their criminal justice program was so closely tied with the justice system in Michigan and beyond. I see a lot of strong parallels between the Jesuit tradition and a land grant mission. The opportunity to work at an institution that emphasizes service to the world around it and that provides so many chances to work on making incremental improvements in crime and justice issues in St. Louis was of great interest to me.

Are you working on any projects?

I am working on a number of research and writing projects at the moment. With a colleague at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, we are conducting an evaluation of a gun violence reduction strategy for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. This includes evaluating the police department's efforts and also trying to understand spatial and behavioral patterns in why citizens do or do not report crimes and cooperate with the police.

With colleagues at SIUC and Colorado State University, I am working on a project examining why some agencies have more/less success recruiting and hiring female and minority officers. With colleagues at SIUC and the University of South Florida, we are analyzing survey data on officer perceptions of organizational readiness for critical incidents. With colleagues at SIUC and Missouri State University, we are using body worn camera footage as an innovative data source to study police behavior.

With a group of researchers, I am working on a study of police officer perceptions of criminal justice and due process reforms. In addition to these (and a few other) active projects, I am working to build connections at SLU and with the St. Louis public safety community to explore new opportunities for grants, contracts, and other research efforts. In all of these endeavors, my objective is to engage in research that is of value and use to the criminal justice community.

What emerging trends do you recognize in the CCJ field?

There is a stronger push for CCJ approaches to be grounded in best practices that are evidence based. What this means is that agencies are expected to use practices that are well regarded in their professional niche not simply because it seems logical or is popular, but because research has established that the practice works. With finite budgets and high demands on their services, criminal justice organizations and employees need to ensure they are using approaches that have been proven effective. This is one reason we emphasize theory, data and research in our classes. We are seeking to equip students with the skills they will need not just to enter into their profession, but to grow and develop as their future profession inevitably changes and advances during the course of their career. 

About SLU's Criminology and Criminal Justice Degrees

Consistent with Saint Louis University’s Jesuit tradition, the criminology and criminal justice program seeks to strengthen the criminal justice systems and, more importantly, communities by focusing on the factors that cause crime and violence and on the humanity of victims, offenders and practitioners. This degree is a good fit for students interested in legal studies, law enforcement at the local, state or federal levels and working with adults and/or juveniles in correctional settings as well as those pursuing graduate education or a law degree.

Learn About SLU's Criminology and Criminal Justice Undergraduate Program