EBP Hall of Fame

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John Kapinos

Inducted June 2012

Nominated by Cynthia Lum, George Mason University

Biography:

John Kapinos serves as the Strategic Planner, Chief’s Office of Research and Support, with the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) in Virginia, where he was appointed in 2005. He joined the FCPD after retiring as a Lieutenant for the Montgomery County Police Department (Maryland), where he served since 1980.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement from the University of Maryland at College Park, and has participated in the Montgomery Leadership Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the Institute for Regional Excellence, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, George Washington University. Mr. Kapinos is a Certified Public Manager and was certified as a Law Enforcement Accreditation Manager by the Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

Evidence-Based Research and Practice:

John Kapinos was instrumental in supporting and implementing GMU’s randomized controlled experiment in license plate recognition systems at hot spots, which is one of the few experiments that exist today on technology, and only one of two that exist on license plate readers. Furthermore his collaborative efforts helped the research team carry out a random-sample survey of the county’s resident’s on LPR implementation, which remains the only survey of its kind with regard to this technology. Most recently, Mr. Kapinos is facilitating another experimental evaluation of problem-solving at hot spots and an in-depth evaluation and assessment of the impact of police technologies on the organization and profession. Because of his efforts, scholar’s understanding of the relationship between technology, police crime control efforts and internal organization and management has been strengthened.

More generally, Mr. Kapinos is recognized for his consistent support of research over the years of his career, and for facilitating collaboration with George Mason University and other research entities while at Fairfax County Police Department. He has put Fairfax County Police Department on the map as being a key location for scientific evaluations in policing. His consistency and dedication to research was recognized by his colleagues when he was selected as president of the International Association of Law Enforcement Planners in 2006, going on to win the Association’s Arthur Barnett Award for Law Enforcement Planner of the Year (2009) and the O.W. Wilson Award for Lifetime Achievement in Law Enforcement Planning (2010). He currently serves as the president of Police Futurists International, a group of forward thinking law enforcement professionals.

Publications and Projects Reflecting Inductee's Efforts:

Links:

Kapinos