Society for Police and Criminal Psychology

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SPCP 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia was a great opportunity for participants to share ideas with colleagues who have overlapping interests. The conference featured 52 presentations and 28 posters. We are pleased to announce the following awards:

C. Edward Shaffer Award for Best Research Presentation
This award is given to the research presentation that best represents the spirit of Ed Shaffer, who had a solid commitment to research.

Michelle Johnston & Charles Robinson for “Online Prediation: Legal and Scholarly Gaps in Clasifying Cyber Sexual Offenders”

Chris Hatcher New Vision Award
This award is given to the presentation that best demonstrates thinking that would advance the field of police and criminal psychology.

Mkay Bonner & Mark Johnson for “Detecting Unmanned. Aerial Systems (UAS): Overview of the Field, Education, and Laws, and “Implementation & Curious Findings at a University Police Department and Multi-Agency Collaboration”

Wilson Kimbrough Award for Scholarly Work in Psychology and Criminal Justice with an Applied Focus
This award is given to the presentation that has the best applied approach to a “real-world” problem.

Douglas Craig for “The Dos and Don’ts in Mediating Workplace Injury among Police and Public Safety Personnel: Treatment Standards and the Role of the Independent Medical Examination”

Wayman Mullins Award for Best Journal Article

Richard Wortley, Martine Powell, & Stephen Smallbone for “Psychological Outcomes for Investigators of Online Child Sexual Exploitation: Comparisons with Other Law Enforcement Investigators” Link to Article

Davis Award for Best Psychometrics-Related Research Talk
This award is given to the presentation exhibiting the best research incorporating sophisticated use of statistics and psychometrics.

Takayuki Miyadera, Kazuya Ishibashi, Eriko Kuhara, Kazumi Watanabe, Yuki Fujiwara & Mutsuyo Matsuda for “Attitudes Toward the Forensic Interview Techniques among Police Interviewers who have Completed the Trainer Training for NICHD Protocol”

Jim Turner Mentorship Award
This award is given to the Society member who has exhibited a high level of mentoring students in furtherance of police and criminal psychology.

Christopher Curtis

Eileen Gupton Best Professional Poster Award
This award is given in recognition of a high-quality posters displayed by non-students.

Alicia McLean for “Confidence in Counsel: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Client Trust and Criminal Case Resolution”

Brian Chopko, Shea Dunham & Patrick Palmieri for “The Necessity of Standardization in the Assessment of Suicidal Ideation among Law Enforcement Officers: A Narrative Review”

Michael Serafino Award for Best Student Poster
This award commemorates Michael F. Serafino. Michael was born on November 19, 1968. He died on July 21, 1992, at the age of 23 while he was a graduate student in criminal justice studies at New Mexico State University. He was a student member of the Society of Police and Criminal Psychology who attended the conference in 1991, where he made a positive impression on Society members. At the time of his death, Michael had been preparing a paper for presentation at the Society’s 1992 conference. In 1994 the Society inaugurated the Michael F. Serafino Best Student Poster competition in honor of Michael. His parents, Gerry and Ann Serafino, who fund the award, have been members of the Society since 1984 and remain supporters of SPCP to this day.

Belinda Hart for “Demographic Risk Factors of Missingness in the U.S. on National and Regional Levels”

Aumiller People’s Choice Award
This award is given to the presentation that is most popular among audience members for being visually appealing, engaging, and creative.

Jennifer Rowland for “Sex-Trafficking: A Saudi Arabian Female’s Perspective”

Brewster Lifetime Achievement Award

Michael Stoloff

Support our 2026 Conference Sponsors

Jerry & Ann Serafino

in honor of

Michael F. Serafino

Gary Aumiller
John & Kammie Juzwin
Pearson
Guilford Press

Conference History

Conference in Anaheim, California. Our 2025 conference was held September 24-27. Conference Program

Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Our 2024 conference was held September 25-28. Conference Program

Conference in Arlington, Texas. Our 2023 conference was held September 20-23.
Conference Program

Conference in Quebec, Canada. The 48th meeting of the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology was held September 21-24, 2022. Conference Program

SPCP has been conducting annual conferences since 1975.

VIEW OUR COMPLETE CONFERENCE HISTORY

The Society for Police and Criminal Psychology does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, or military status. We are an international organization that welcomes, as members, all professionals and students who are interested in our field.

Announcements*

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Licensed psychologists (Ph.D. in Clinical or Counseling Psychology) who have experience with police, public safety, or first responders, are needed for peer support training and ongoing clinical consultation. The Real Healing Center, based near Quantico VA, needs services and on-demand crisis response support that can be provided by phone, email, or video conferencing. Contact Khadijah Washington to learn more.

A Postdoctoral Resident is needed by Culver Forensic Consulting of Fort Myers, FL. The position involves both criminal forensic and police evaluations. Send letter of interest and CV to Ms. Celia O'Connor: admin@culverforensics.com. More information.

First Responder Psychology, a practice of current and former first responders, offers a variety of virtual, in-person, and on-demands courses on first responder resilience, trauma, sleep, nervous system regulation, peer support, and CISM. Target audiences include line first responders, supervisors, executives, peer supporters, chaplains, and first responder clinicians. Optional purchase of first responder books, authored by the clinical director, Stephanie M. Conn, PhD, ABPP: Increasing Resilience in Police and Emergency Personnel and Building Effective Peer Support Teams. More information

Professionals who use or oversee the use of structured risk assessment tools for violence or offending in mental health, forensic or criminal justice contexts are needed for a short anonymous online survey. This project is being conducted by the Mental Health, Law and Policy Institute and Douglas Research Lab at Simon Fraser University. More information

The Veterans Health Administration has many positions available. Clinical Psychologists interested in positions, you can now use their "hot jobs response form" to learn more about available positions. You can also search for various mental-health positions on their website. More information

A Psychology Supervisor for the Aggression Reduction Program is needed by the Nebraska Department of Corrections. A doctorate in psychology and clinical licensure is required. More information

Geo Group is seeking Psychologists and other Mental Health Professionals who are prepared to provide evidence-based rehabilitation programs in correctional and post-release settings. Full- and part-time positions are available in many locations. Search for positions by entering Psychologist or Mental Health Professional into the "job title or category" field. Search Positions

Thinkblot Behavioral Sciences is seeking a part-time licensed doctoral-level psychologist (16 hours a week) to conduct pre-employment psychological evaluations and other assessments. Headquartered in the Washington DC area, Thinkblot primarily serves public safety departments, but also provides services to private security firms, religious organizations, and other institutions with unique assessment needs, conducting over 2,000 psychological evaluations annually. More information.

Intensive Supportive Retreats for First Responder & Essential Emergency Personnel is being offered by the Haymarket Center of Chicago on multiple dates during 2025. These 4-day intensive retreats offer support, skills and information to help first responders who have experienced traumatic events through their work. More information

Police Use of Force: What Psychologists Need to Know. a workshop by former police lieutenant and current board-certified police psychologist, Mark Zelig, PhD, ABPP, is now available on-demand. The workshop is designed for mental health clinicians who work with law enforcement agencies and personnel. It is especially designed for psychologists with limited knowledge of police use of force. More information

An Introduction to the Specialty of Police and Public Safety Psychology is available. Free, online and available on demand. More information

The Society of Consulting Psychology and the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations seek to create an event, series of events, and/or publication for members of each organization to explore our respective understandings of the science and art of policing, We aspire to improve consulting services to police organizations. If you have provided consultation to police organizations and would be willing to contribute a presentation or publication to our event or series of events, please contact Tamara S. Lyn, PhD, at tammylyn@post.harvard.edu.

Mentorship and Sponsorship Program. An online program is available for licensed psychologists of color who are interested in a career in police psychology. The program includes six meetings/year and will be designed around the interests and needs of the participants. For more information contact Dr. Philip Trompetter (philtrompetter@gmail.com) or Dr. Dave Corey (dmc@corey-stewart.com).

Introduction to Police and Public Safety Psychology, a 10-hour, self-paced course by Dr. Philip Trompetter and Dr. Jaime Brower is now available. More information

Working with Emergency Responders, a 10-hour, self-paced course by Dr. Jaime Brower, Dr. Rhonda Kelly and Michael Pitrusu is now available. More information

Introduction to Using the MMPI-2-RF in the Assessment of Public Safety Personnel Evaluations, a 10-hour, self-paced course by Dr. Martin Sellbom is now available. More information

An online Graduate Certificate in Cyber Intelligence is offered by James Madison University. Strategically analyze cyber security threats and understand adversaries.More information

Free Resources on School Threat Assessment and School Violence Prevention are available from SIGMA Threat Management Associates. More information

Psychologists needed for a 911 operators training program. More information

The Seismic Change in Police Investigations. A major player in law enforcement says it will no longer use a method linked to false confessions. More information

Many position openings for license-eligible Forensic Psychologists are now available in the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Search for the keyword "Forensic Psychologist" in Team Georgia Careers.

*The listings above are provided as a free service of SPCP. Items listed here have not been vetted by the organization and they should not be construed as an endorsement by the Society.

Society for Police and Criminal Psychology