It is with great sadness and disappointment that the Board of Directors has decided that we need to cancel the in-person portion of the conference in Arlington, Texas, and host an online-only conference. We are asking all presenters who were going to live-stream presentations in Texas to present online using the methods developed by our online conference provider which proved very effective during 2020 for our online conference.  With everyone's support, our presentation schedule should be very similar to what has been planned and announced.  CEU's will continue to be available. 

Registrants who were planning to attend in person who would like participate online instead will receive a refund for the difference in their registration fees. Registrants who were planning to attend in person and do not wish to attend online, will receive a full refund of their registration fees. Details about how to obtain your refund will be sent soon.

The 2021 Online Conference of the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology will be held Thursday, September 30 – Saturday, October 2, 2021. This conference will include a pre-recorded and streamed presentations from online participants, live question & answer sessions, and an online poster session.  This conference format will allow presentations and participation from colleagues around the world.  Register Now!

View the Program
 (Last updated September 12, 2021.  Subject to change without notice.)

What a conference this will be! We anticipate offering 15 hours of programming including 50 presentations, and 25 posters.  Sessions will include:

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Issues in Law Enforcement
• Police Culture and Reform
• Crisis Response
• Trauma Intervention
• Threat Assessment
• The Wrongfully Accused
  
• Violence and Suicide
• Stress Management & Resilience Building
• Effective Communication
• Psychopathology & Mass Murder
• Police Operations & Investigations
• Advances in Assessment & Selection
  
• Intervention & Treatment
• Advances in Criminal Psychology
• Predatory Behavior & Sex Crimes 
• Dealing with Scams
  
• And much more!
  

The 2020 online SPCP conference was very successful, with 291 participants, including many international participants.  Online participants will be able to view all presentations, posters, and Q&A sessions via the internet, anywhere in the world.

The Society for Police & Criminal Psychology is a multi-disciplinary group that encourages the scientific study of the criminal justice system and the application of behavioral science knowledge to problems in criminal justice, including law enforcement, judicial, and corrections elements. Consequently, it solicits participation from psychologists, psychiatrists, lawyers, police officers, corrections personnel, social workers, and other professionals involved in the scientific study of the criminal justice system.

Conference Registration

Your dues must be paid through 2021 before you can register.  If you attempt to register for the conference and your dues are not paid, you will be prompted to pay your dues before you will be able to proceed. Please note that this year's registration fees are being kept as low as possible; therefore, 2022 dues are not included in the conference registration.  You will be reminded to pay your 2022 dues at the end of 2021.

Choose from the following participation options:

Registration (through Sept 15)	Full Members	Student Members
Online	$150	$100
Late Registration (Starting September 16)
Online	$200	$150

Register for the conference by clicking here.  Please join and pay your 2021 dues before registering for the conference.  You must login to register. 

Continuing Education Credits.  Conference attendees may also earn credit for continuing education (CEUs) by paying an additional $40 fee when registering for the conference. Typically, approximately 12-13 CEUs have been available at each in-person conference. We will not know how many CEUs will be available until the program has been completed.

Adjustments & Cancellation.  Until September 15, participants may adjust their registration from in-person to online and receive a refund for the difference between the two rates.  Until September 15, participants may upgrade their registration from online to in-person using the registration rate that was in effect at the time the first registration was paid.  For example, members who paid $100 before June 30 for online registration can upgrade to in-person registration for an additional $150, regardless of the date of the upgrade.  Participants may also cancel their registration and receive a full refund until September 15.  After September 15, 2021, no refunds can be issued.

Notes:

• Conference participants who register as students are NOT eligible to make presentations.
• SPCP dues for 2021 must be paid to register for the conference.
• All registrations, adjustments, and refund requests must be made by September 15.

Call for Proposals

We are no longer accepting presentation or poster proposals for this conference.   

Our conference is a wonderful opportunity to share ideas, best practices, and cutting-edge research in the fields of police and criminal psychology. We want to hear from clinicians, academics, police officers, legal professionals, and students. This year we especially welcome presentations and posters that address the conference theme:

Embracing Innovation and Change in Police and Criminal Psychology.

Our conference will host both presentations and posters:

Presentations may be made by professionals only; students are not permitted to make presentations. Experienced practicing professionals who are currently enrolled in a doctoral program may request to make a presentation. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis; please contact the CEU chair, JoAnne Brewster at brewstja@jmu.edu. Please make your request BEFORE you submit your proposal, so that you will know whether to submit a presentation or a poster. After each group of three 15-minute presentations, all presenters will participate in a live 15-minute Question & Answer session from either the conference room or online.  We expect to be able to provide CEUs for most presentations. The deadline for receipt of presentations was May 1.  We are no longer accepting proposals for presentations. 

Posters should include a single PowerPoint slide and a 5-minute video recording that discusses key points. All posters will be viewable online.  Posters will be available for viewing throughout the conference.  Conference participants will be able to post comments and questions on a discussion board associated with each poster.  Poster presenters are expected to monitor their discussion boards throughout the conference, responding to inquiries and entering into conversations. Students at any level (undergraduate and graduate) are encouraged to submit posters. There is an award and honorarium for the best student poster (see below for details). Professionals may also present posters. No CEUs will be available for poster presentations, as per APA rules. We are no longer accepting proposals for posters.

Continuing Education.  To enable us to offer APA-approved Continuing Education Units (CEUs), every submission MUST include two learning objectives (requested on the submission form). After submitting the form, please email your current Curriculum Vitae (CV) to JoAnne Brewster (brewstja@jmu.edu). Your submission will not be considered complete unless it includes all of the information requested on the form and your CV is received. Timely submission of your proposal and CV would be most appreciated. Note that online presenters must be available during assigned presentation times to answer questions, in order for presentations to qualify for CEU's.

Award and Honorarium for the Best Student Poster

The Society for Police & Criminal Psychology advocates for the pursuit of academic excellence by encouraging the submission of posters by current students at the undergraduate, masters, or doctoral level.  The Michael Serafino Award is given annually to the best student poster presented at our yearly conference. Posters are judged on scholarship, contribution to the fields of police and public safety psychology or criminal justice, and the quality of the poster presentation.  

Get further information about the Michael Serafino Award

Support our 2021 Conference Sponsors 

Conference History

The Society sponsors an annual conference held in the fall of each year at varying locations throughout the United States. The conference focuses on the interface between criminal justice and the behavioral sciences. It includes presentations on international perspectives in policing, specialized police procedures and techniques, personnel issues in criminal justice agencies, the law, litigation issues, inmate populations, probation and parole, and other issues affecting individuals in the criminal justice system.

View locations and past presidents list

2020 Conference

Our 2020 conference was held online on Zoom, November 5-7, 2020.

Click here to view the program.

2019 Conference

Our 2019 conference was held at the Embassy Suites Hilton in Scottsdale, Arizona, September 22 - 25, 2019.

Click here to view the program.

2019 ACCOP Conference in Singapore

More information

2018 Conference

Our 2018 conference was held in Sarasota, Florida, September 30-October 3, 2018 at the Lido Beach Resort.

Click here to view the program.

2017 Conference

Our 2017 conference was held in San Diego, California, September 13-16, 2017 at the Doubletree by Hilton San Diego Downtown. 

Click here to view the program.

2016 Conference

Our 2016 conference was held in Austin, Texas, September 25-28, 2016 at the Marriott Austin South.

Click here to view the program.

2016 ACCOP Conference in Singapore

More information   

2015 Conference

Our 2015 conference was held in Atlanta, Georgia, September 30 - October 3, 2015 at the Georgian Terrace.   

Click here to view program.

2014 Conference

The 40th annual meeting of the Society was held in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 17-20, 2014.  The conference program is available here.

2013 Conference

The 39th Annual Conference of the Society for Police & Criminal Psychology was held at the Marriott Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, , September 25- 28, 2013.  The conference program is available here.

2012 Conference

The 38th Annual Conference of the Society for Police & Criminal Psychology was held at the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama, November 7-10, 2012. The conference program is available here.

2011 Conference

The 37th Annual Conference of the Society for Police & Criminal Psychology was held at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago, IL, October, 18-21, 2011. The conference included an International Summit day, with presentations from numerous international police psychologists.  The conference program is available here.

2010 Conference