More than 50 police studies academicians from throughout the United States and at least 16 foreign countries will attend an international conference on the Eastern Kentucky University campus June 12-14.

"Status Check: Police Studies" was planned and organized by EKU's internationally recognized College of Justice & Safety to "take stock of the academic field of police studies," said Dr. Gary Cordner, dean of the College.

"We want to discuss the field's origins, its current status in higher education and the field of policing, and identify emerging topics and issues," Cordner said. "We want to help people network with each other and build a stronger sense of community worldwide, and introduce EKU to some of these top people from all over the world and highlight our University's leadership role in the field of police studies."

Representatives will be coming from The Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Ukraine, Great Britain, Croatia, Slovenia, Turkey, Spain, Canada, Northern Ireland, Germany, Australia, South Africa and from 20 universities and agencies in the U.S.

Cordner explained that the number of academicians who focus specifically on police studies worldwide is small. Some countries, in fact, may have only one individual who fits that description.

"It's a niche area," he said. "When professors in this field get together, it's usually in a much larger context. This conference will allow participants to focus particularly on policing issues."

Presentations include: "Policing and Technology," "Technology and Militarization," "Women in Policing," "Racial Profiling," "Policing and Human Rights," "Police Studies in Developing Democracies," "International Police Assistance," and "Community Policing: Yesterday's News?"

"Because of globalization, people who teach in the field of police studies are more internationally oriented today," Cordner said. "Crime is more transnational, and people who study policing have also become more aware of policing issues in other countries.

"In particular, the democratization of Eastern Europe has led to a focus on policing as those emerging democracies restructure their policing systems."

Cordner said the conference will enhance the international visibility of EKU's College of Justice & Safety, which was named a Kentucky Program of Distinction in 1998.

"The willingness of these police studies experts from all over the world to come to EKU for this event demonstrates their awareness of our programs in police studies, their respect for our faculty and their appreciation of the efforts we've undertaken to hold this conference."

Cordner, who's stepping down to teach this summer after six years as dean, said he hopes
the College of Justice & Safety will hold a similar international conference annually, and rotate it among the College's different academic programs, which also include corrections, fire and safety, and assets protection/security.

"A series of conferences would help ensure that all our programs remain on the cutting edge and have worldwide recognition."