Logan Somers – Assistant Professor

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Biography

Logan J. Somers is an Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department at Georgia Southern University. He earned his Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University in 2021. 

His research focuses largely on emerging issues within policing such as officer work experience, police use of force, officer mindset (i.e., perceptions of danger), and evidence-based policing. This work can be seen in the Criminal Justice and Behavior, Police Quarterly, Criminal Justice and Policy Review, Policing and Society, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, and Behavioral Sciences and the Law among others.

Education

Ph.D., Criminology and Criminal Justice (2021) Arizona State University

M.S., Criminology and Criminal Justice (2016) Arizona State University

B.S., Justice Studies (2014) Westminster College

Teaching Interests

Introduction to Policing; Research Methods; Police Use of Force

Published Research

William, Terrill, & Somers, Logan J. (forthcoming). Viewing firearm danger through the lens of police officers. Homicide Studies, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/10887679221108329

Somers, Logan J., & Terrill, William. (forthcoming). Confidence in their craft: An assessment of the relationship between officer work experiences and their perceptions of self-efficacy, Criminal Justice & Behavior, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F00938548221105879

Somers, Logan J. (forthcoming). Towards a Better Understanding of Police Experience: An Assessment of the Unique Shifts, Crime Areas, and Duty Assignments that Officers Have Worked, The Police Journal. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X211064710 

Somers, Logan J., & Terrill, William. (2022). Examining the Relationship between the Unique Work Experiences and Cultural Orientations of Police Officers, Criminal Justice Studies, 35(2), 182-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.2019032

 Paoline, Eugene A., William, Terrill, & Somers, Logan J. (2021). Police officer use of force mindset and street-level behavior. Police Quarterly, 24(4), 547-577. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F10986111211025523

Maguire, Ed R., Somers, Logan J., & Padilla, Kathleen E. (2020). Promoting officer health and wellness. In Charles M. Katz & Edward R. Maguire (Eds.) Transforming police: 13 key reforms (pp. 213-230). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. 

Somers, Logan J., Terrill, William, Ingram, Jason R., & Rossler, Michael T. (2020). Examining the effectiveness of TASERS^® at gaining citizen compliance. Criminal Justice and Policy Review, 31(8), 1234-1255.https://doi.org/10.1177/0887403419897953

Telep, Cody W., & Somers, Logan J. (2019). Examining police officer definitions of evidence-based policing: Are we speaking the same language? Policing and Society, 29(2), 171-187. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2017.1373775

Last updated: 8/15/2022