Violence Against Police Officers

On February 19, 2010, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature Chief of Police Joel F. Shults on Violence Against Police Officers. The Violence Against Law Officer Research (V.A.L.O.R.) Project hypothesizes that Police officers who are victims of crime as defined by statute are routinely denied the rights afforded to other crime victims. As a result of this wholesale denial of their rights police officers suffer a handicap in being empathetic to civilian crime victims; have pathologies like other repeat crime victims; and are at risk of acting out in ways that constitute misconduct or in self destructive ways including substance abuse and suicide. Chief Joel Shults, Ph.D., serves as a college police administrator for the Adams State College Police (Colorado). Chief Shults earned his PHD in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Shults earned a MPA from the University of Central Missouri after completing an Associate and Bachelor's, Criminal Justice Administration at UCM. Chief Shults began his law enforcement as a Army Military Police Officer. Chief Shults was sworn in to his 1st civilian police position with the Warrensburg Police Department. After field training & his first 6 months as a patrol officer, Shults attended the Basic Law Enforcement Acad at the Missouri State Highway Patrol. While with WPD, Shults served as shift supervisor, investigator, community relations officer, field training officer, & coordinator of reserve officers. Shults was appointed Chief for the combined police services of two small Missouri towns. After serving there Shults retired briefly from law enforcement for a short time before accepting a position in Kansas City as head of the Tarkio College law enforcement program where he served as supervisor of admissions, lead instructor, and supervisor over adjunct faculty. Shults’ most recent appointment was as Director of Public Safety at Adams State College.