American Society of Criminology

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The American Society of Criminology is an international organization concerned with criminology, embracing scholarly, scientific, and professional knowledge concerning the etiology, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency. This includes the measurement and detection of crime, a review of legislation and the practice of law, as well as an examination of the law enforcement, judicial, and correctional systems.

The Society's objectives are to encourage the exchange, in a multidisciplinary setting, of those engaged in research, teaching, and practice so as to foster criminological scholarship, and to serve as a forum for the dissemination of criminological knowledge. Our members includes students, practitioners, and academicians from the many fields of criminal justice and criminology.

[edit] History

On the morning of December 30, 1941, seven men involved in teaching college courses in Police Science and Administration met at the home of August Vollmer on Euclid Avenue, Berkeley, California, "for the purpose of furthering college police training and standardizing police training curricula." These men were August Vollmer, author, academic, former Chief of Police, Berkeley and retired Professor of Police Administration, University of California, Robert L. Drexel, Chief Investigator, District Attorney's Office, San Jose, California, Benjamin W. Pavone, Chairman, Peace Officers Training Division, San Francisco Junior College, San Francisco, California, Willard E. Schmidt, Director of Police Training, Sacramento Junior College, Sacramento, California, Orlando W. Wilson, Professor of Police Administration and Director of the Bureau of Criminology, University California, Berkeley, California, William Wiltberger, Director, Police School, San Jose State College, San Jose, California, Frank Lee, Formerly Director of the National Police academy, China. The meeting which began at 10:15 a.m. did not adjourn until one o'clock the next morning. The purpose of the meeting was to formally organize under the title the National Association of College Police Officials.

At the first meeting Vollmer was elected President Emeritus and O.W. Wilson as President. It was voted that a membership be restricted to persons actively engaged as officials of college police training curricula. The purposes of the Association were to associate officials engaged in professional police training at the college level, to standardize the various police training curricula and the subject matter of similar courses in the various schools, update developments and to foster research, disseminate information, to elevate standards of police service and to stimulate the formation of police training schools in colleges throughout the nation. The Third Annual Conference of the National Association of College Police Training Officers was convened at the Durant Hotel in Berkley, California on December 29, 1948. At this conference, constitution, By-laws, membership qualifications and Committee Reports and lengthy discussion of a name for the organization became a primary characteristic of the meeting. From the suggested names the following were voted upon:

• National Association of College Police Training Officials
• Association for Education in Criminology
• Criminological Education Association
• Association for College Police and Criminology Training Officials
• Society fro the Advancement of Criminology

After a prolonged debate and discussion the Society for the Advancement of Criminology was officially accepted by a majority vote. In March 1957, at the Executive Meeting at the University of Southern California, a change in the organization name to American Society of Criminology was recommended and accepted by the members. The purposes of the American Society of Criminology were;

• To bring together persons actively engaged or who have been actively engaged in teaching and/or practice in the field of criminology.
• To foster training and research in criminology in institutions of higher learning and in law enforcement and correctional agencies.
• To encourage understanding and cooperation among those engaged in criminology and
• To serve as a clearing house for collection and dissemination of criminological knowledge and skills.

The society has initiated an information service on police training and curricula for criminologists, both abroad and in the United States, providing assistance I the placement of its members and advisies them on the publication and monographs of criminological interest. The Society publishes a Directory of Unviersity and College Criminological Programs, a Newsletter and distributes occasional brochures, research reports, professional papers, and other items of interest to its members.

[edit] References

• 1. Albert Morris, "The American Society of Criminology: A History, 1941 - 1974," (Criminology, August 1975, pp. 123-167)
• 2. Edward A. Petty, Historical Perspectives on the American Society of Criminology." Unpublished history written in 1959.
• 3. Frank Scarpitti, "The Recent History of the American Society of Criminology," (The Criminologist, November 1985, pp. 1-3, 9)
• 4. The articles can be found in http://www.asc41.com/History.html