A Brief Introduction to Criminal Justice Practice and Process by Kenneth J. Peak

Kenneth J. Peak, now a retired professor and former head of the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he was recognized as the university’s “Teacher of the Year” by the honor society. After serving as a municipal police officer in Kansas for four years, he went on to hold diverse roles including a criminal justice planner for nine counties in southeast Kansas, director of a technical assistance institute for the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration covering four states at Washburn University in Topeka, director of university police at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, acting director of public safety at the University of Nevada, Reno, and assistant professor of criminal justice at Wichita State University. With 37 other textbooks authored or co-authored by him covering various topics such as general policing, community policing, criminal justice administration, police supervision and management, and women in law enforcement, in addition to two historical books on Kansas temperance and bootlegging, and over 60 journal articles and invited book chapters, he has left a significant imprint in the realm of criminal justice education. He has chaired the Police Section of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and served as president of the Western Association of Criminal Justice. Having received two gubernatorial appointments to statewide criminal justice committees during his time in Kansas, Kenneth J. Peak holds a doctorate from the University of Kansas.

Tamara D. Madensen, currently holding the position of an associate professor of criminal justice and graduate director at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), obtained her doctorate from the University of Cincinnati. Her research focuses on crime opportunity structures, place management, and crowd violence. She has been honored with UNLV’s Spanos Distinguished Teaching Award, Faculty Excellence Award, and Greenspun College of Urban Affairs Teaching Award. Her publications contribute to crime science theoretical models by proposing, extending, or testing them. Her work aims to bridge the gap between research findings and practical application and policy formulation. Her research has been published in various renowned publications such as Criminology and Justice Quarterly. Apart from scholarly works, she has authored several practitioner-focused research papers, including two guides on Problem-Oriented Policing funded by the COPS Office and research monographs that have been finalists for the Herman Goldstein Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing Award. Her book Preventing Crowd Violence (co-edited with Johannes Knutsson) has been translated into two languages. Dr. Madensen leads the Crowd Management Research Council at UNLV, where she conducts research and provides training for law enforcement agencies, major sports leagues, and private industries.