Bio

Dr. Ben Stickle is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Administration at Middle Tennessee State University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Cedarville University and a Master’s of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Justice Administration from the University of Louisville. His research interests include policing (use of force & administration), property crime (metal theft & burglary), and emerging crimes (package theft, pet theft, crime in the sharing economy). Ben’s theoretical focus is crime opportunity and rational choice, specializing in qualitative methods. His research has appeared in the American Journal of Criminal Justice, Police Practice & Research, Criminal Justice Policy Review, and Policing: An International Journal. He is the author of Metal Scrappers and Thieves (Springer), co-editor of Policing Behavior, Hiring, and Crime Fighting: An International View (Routledge), editor of Field Studies in Environmental Criminology (Routledge), and authored over twenty book chapters, reviews, & encyclopedia entries. Also, his research has garnered national and international reach, including over 100 news reports, presentations in six countries, including at the United Nations in New York & Geneva, and across numerous practitioner outlets. Ben has over twenty years of experience in the criminal justice field, including service as a Police Officer, Crime Scene Investigator, and Private Security Officer. He is a two-time President of the Kentucky Peace Officers’ Association and a Council member of the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council. A graduate of the National Forensic Academy (Session XXII), Ben holds multiple professional certifications and has served as an expert witness on police administration matters. Currently, Ben incorporates his experience as a practitioner into service as a program evaluator or primary investigator for multiple Bureau of Justice grants, including practitioner-partnerships with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation & Rutherford County Correctional Center focused on justice mental health responses, offender reentry, human trafficking, and crime statistics.