Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
I am Christopher J. Marier, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice. I earned my Ph. D. in Criminology from the University of South Florida. Before that, I was a police officer in South Florida. My teaching and research focus primarily on policing, race and justice, and group conflict. My research has been published in leading journals, including Justice Quarterly, Criminology and Public Policy, and Journal of Criminal Justice.
As U.S. police departments release preliminary or finalized 2024 crime numbers, many are reporting historic declines in homicides and drops in other violent crimes compared to 2023. In many parts of the country, though, those decreases don’t match the public perception. Experts say most cities are seeing a drop in crime levels that spiked during …
Continue reading “US cities largely saw a drop in violent crime in 2024, yet many still feel unsafe”
The Fort Walton Beach Police Department has welcomed a unique addition to its team: Milo, a 9-week-old labradoodle serving as a community wellness K-9. Unlike traditional police dogs, Milo’s role is to provide support at crime scenes, community events, and within the department itself. “I think Milo is a visual reminder that mental health is …
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In many places across the nation, the repeated shocking of Ms. Vivian Burks—a 65-year-old great-grandmother with no criminal record who was not acting aggressively and was largely under the officers’ control—would be considered an improper and dangerous use of a Taser by the police. Not in Mississippi. Here, police agencies set their own rules about …
Continue reading “Mississippi Police Use Tasers Freely, and Injuries Follow”