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Western Illinois University LEJA alumnus Scott Kristiansen
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LEJA Alumnus Receives Individual Achievement Award at International Chiefs of Police Convention

October 29, 2018

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MACOMB, IL - - Western Illinois University Law Enforcement and Justice Administration alumnus Scott Kristiansen received the J. Stannard Baker Individual Achievement in Highway Safety award at the 2018 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) annual convention.

The award Kristiansen received at the Oct. 26-29 event in Orlando, FL, recognizes individual law enforcement officers and others who have made outstanding lifetime contributions to highway safety. It honors the late Baker, who made significant contributions to highway safety. He served as director of research and development at Northwestern University Traffic Institute (now the Center for Public Safety) for more than 30 years. During that time, he focused on the causes of traffic crashes and the techniques of collision investigation and reconstruction. He was known internationally as the "father of accident investigation," and his text book, "Traffic Accident Investigation Manual," is the worldwide standard.

The award is presented in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Northwestern University's Center for Public Safety, along with the IACP.

"I am a proud alumnus of Western, where I received my Bachelor of Science from the LEJA program in 1981. During my 31-year law enforcement career, I have been actively involved in highway safety at the local, state and national level," said Kristiansen, who is currently retired from law enforcement and working for IACP as a liaison with the Illinois Department of Transportation's Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering. "My educational experience at Western prepared me for a successful career in law enforcement, and I think it is important to let current and prospective LEJA students know that WIU provides an outstanding education that will prepare them for the wide variety of responsibilities in the law enforcement field."

For more information on Western's School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, visit wiu.edu/leja.

Posted By: Alisha Looney (AA-Looney@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing