William King

William King is a Professor and Chair/Program Lead in the Department of Criminal Justice at Boise State University, where he also serves as Graduate and Undergraduate Coordinator. He joined Boise State in 2019 after holding prior academic positions at Sam Houston State University (2009–2019) and Bowling Green State University (1998–2009). His administrative roles include Associate Dean of Research and Program Development at Sam Houston State and Director of the Crime and Justice Research Laboratory at Bowling Green.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati (1998)
• M.S. in Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati (1993)
• B.S. in Criminal Justice, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Cum Laude (1992)

Research focuses on police organizational dynamics, forensic evidence systems, and criminal investigations. Key themes include:

• Structural evolution and disbanding of police agencies
• Crime laboratory performance and ballistics imaging efficiency
• Leadership challenges in law enforcement
• Policy implementation in criminal justice systems

His publications emphasize empirical analysis of policing innovations, forensic workflows, and organizational responses to societal challenges like human trafficking and gun violence. Research often integrates quantitative methods with theoretical frameworks from institutional theory and focal concerns analysis.

Grant activity includes over $1.2M in awards from agencies like the National Institute of Justice and Bureau of Justice Assistance. Major projects:

• Evaluation of NIBIN's impact on criminal investigations ($341,807)
• Analysis of sexual assault forensic evidence processing ($394,100)
• Crime reduction strategy development in Trinidad and Tobago ($233,804)

Extensive student mentorship includes advising 15+ graduate/undergraduate researchers on theses, publications, and honors projects. Professional service spans editorial boards (Crime & Delinquency, Journal of Forensic Sciences) and task forces (Idaho Cold Case and Advanced DNA Methods Task Force).