With all the discussion about police discretion, Dr. Casey LaFrance’s Targeting Discretion could not be an more timely. Police discretion and its importance may be a bit more obvious but you may not know much about the man behind the material.
Dr. Casey LaFrance is an associate professor in the department of political science at Western Illinois University, where he teaches courses in public administration, public policy, and American politics, and was named the 2014-2015 First Year Experience Professor of the Year.
His research focuses on local law enforcement decision-making, particularly among county sheriffs and municipal police chiefs. He has consulted extensively with police agencies in several states using the “Target Model” of discretion to help identify and improve communication issues between rank levels in each agency. His work has appeared in a range of scholarly outlets, including: The International Journal of Police Science & Management, The Law Enforcement Executive Forum, Public Organization Review, Policing: A Journal of Policy & Practice, the National Civic Review, Politics & Policy, American Politics Research, Judicature, and others.
When he is not adventuring with his wife and 3 cats, Casey continues to research discretionary decision-making in law enforcement.
Keep your eyes out next week for a sneak peak in LaFrance’s Targeting Discretion!
