Criminal Justice Forum to mark opening of research laboratory

The University’s new Crime & Justice Research Laboratory will officially open April 11 in conjunction with the third annual Criminal Justice Forum on campus.

The forum, set for 7 p.m. in 101 Olscamp Hall, will feature Drs. Paul and Patricia Brantingham, both professors of criminology at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Their topic will be “Building Collaborative Research Partnerships: University and Government.”

The Brantinghams are internationally recognized experts on the geographic distribution of crime and environmental criminology. They work extensively with various government agencies to analyze crime patterns, map crime and criminal behavior, and identify useful interventions for addressing crime in communities.

They also run Simon Fraser’s International Center for Urban Research Studies, which has a formal affiliation with the new BGSU laboratory to work collaboratively, when possible, on research and evaluation.

The Crime & Justice Research Laboratory’s role includes working “on behalf of, and in concert with, any criminal justice agencies on research and evaluation topics that are important for understanding the impact of criminal justice policies, and on how to address crime and justice in society,” according to Dr. Steven Lab, director of BGSU’s Criminal Justice Program.

Located in the former Link building at 315 Thurstin Ave., the laboratory includes space for dedicated computers and software needed to conduct program evaluation and analysis of data from criminal justice agencies.

It will also offer training to current students, as well as criminal justice agency personnel, on how to undertake meaningful crime analysis. “One example of this is training in the area of creating and using crime mapping,” Lab explains. “This is a growing area in the criminal justice arena. But even with this growth—mainly in large cities—many medium and smaller agencies are still seeking assistance to use these technologies to their fullest extent in crime prevention and control.”

The laboratory’s equipment was purchased with funds committed by the Graduate College, College of Health and Human Services, Information Technology Services and Criminal Justice Program.

This event is part of the monthlong activities for Building Dreams: The Centennial Campaign for Bowling Green State University.