Dr. Terrill is a Professor in the School of Criminology & Criminal Justice and Associate Dean at the Watts College of Public Service at Arizona State University. He earned his B.S. in Criminal Justice in 1992, from the School of Public Affairs Penn State Harrisburg, and his M.A. and Ph.D in Criminal Justice in 1994 and 2000, from the School of Criminal Justice Rutgers Newark.
Having served as a Military Police officer, Professor Terrill was exposed to the many issues faced by police officers. This experience translated to an interest in policing from both a practitioner and academic perspective.
Dr. Terrill's research centers on police behavior, with an emphasis on police use of force and police culture. Over the past 25 years, directed federal and locally funded research projects, worked with local and state law enforcement agencies, served as a consultant on a multitude of projects, been retained as an expert witness, and frequently called upon as a media commentator with respect to public safety. Widely published across a diverse array of outlets, including the field’s top-ranked journal outlets, and is the author of two books titled Police Coercion: Application of the Force Continuum and Police Culture: Adapting to the Strains of the Job. Formerly the Chairperson for the American Society of Criminology Division of Policing and served on the Sub-Committee to President Barack Obama’s 2015 Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Presently the Chair of the American Society of Criminology Ethics Committee and Co-Editor of Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice published by Oxford University Press.
Dr. Terrill’s work has shed light on how and why police officers use force and excessive use of force; the various ways that officers think about (i.e., perceptions) and engage in forceful tactics (i.e., behavior); the manner in which organizations structure and guide officers via organizational policy and use of force training; the resulting impact of using force on citizens and officers; and the complexity with which one must consider the ways police culture manifests, is shared, and influences officer behavior.
Sample of Professor Terrill's work:
- A National Institute of Justice (NIJ) grant examining police use of force policies throughout the U.S. and various outcomes, including use of force behavior, citizen complaints, and injuries associated with different types of organizational policies.
- Several private foundation grants involving an observational study of the police in Flint, Michigan.
- A violence prevention study as part of a Bureau of Justice Assistance Project Safe Neighborhoods grant in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- A project with the Orlando, Florida police department involving a 5-year review of the agency’s use of force policies.
- Numerous projects with the Phoenix Police Department involving the use of force.
- A study with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) examining body-worn cameras in several police agencies identifying escalation and de-escalation in relation to use of force.
