Gorazd Meško

Professor Gorazd Meško is Head of the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Maribor, where he has worked since 1992. He is a distinguished scholar in criminology and criminal justice with particular expertise in comparative criminology, policing, and local community safety. His affiliations include the British Society of Criminology (as International Ambassador since 2015) and extensive visiting positions at leading institutions including the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford.

Professor Meško's research focuses on police legitimacy across different settings, environmental crime (particularly electronic waste trafficking), and local community safety. His work spans both theoretical and applied dimensions, with numerous national and international research projects examining safety perceptions, crime prevention, and the execution of penal sanctions. His research often takes a comparative perspective, particularly focusing on Central and Eastern European contexts during political transitions.

His publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly output across multiple domains. Recent work shows increasing focus on the nuances of police legitimacy across different community settings (urban, suburban, rural), with his 2024 study revealing significant differences in how residents perceive police legitimacy based on community type. His research on electronic waste as transnational environmental harm represents an innovative expansion into environmental criminology.

• Zois award for contributions to social sciences (2014)
• International Ambassador of the British Society of Criminology (2015-present)
• Managing editor of Journal of Criminal Investigation and Criminology
• Guest editor for multiple international criminology journals

Professor Meško has secured significant research funding from the Slovenian Research Agency and European Commission. His doctoral supervision and teaching across BA, MA, and PhD levels demonstrate his commitment to developing the next generation of criminal justice scholars. His work bridges academic research with practical policy implications, particularly regarding community safety and police legitimacy.