Samuel Walker

Samuel Emlen Walker (born December 19, 1942) is an American civil liberties, policing, and criminal justice expert. He specializes in the history of police and police accountability.

Early life and education Walker was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, but grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. His father was an executive who worked for the railroad. In 1970, Walker received an M.A. in American history from University of Nebraska Omaha. In 1973, he earned a PhD in American history from Ohio State University. His thesis was on Terence V. Powderly, and was called "Terence V. Powderly, "Labour Mayor": Workingmen's Politics in Scranton, Pennsylvania 1870-1884". His thesis advisor was K. Austin Kerr. After orientation/training in Ohio and raising US$500 for bail, for six weeks in the summer of 1964 starting in June 1964, Walker worked as a volunteer, going on door-to-door voter registration drives to encourage African American citizens to register to vote. Part of the effort was to highlight the restrictions on voter registration and to establish a non-violent right to organize and empower in the face of institutional terrorism of the Black community in Mississippi.

After graduating from college, Walker returned to Mississippi in January 1965 to continue the Mississippi Freedom Project. Walker was based in Gulfport, Mississippi until August 1966.

Teaching From 1969 to 1970, Walker was a teaching assistant at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) while earning his master's degree. From 1970 to 1973, he was a teaching associate at Ohio State University while working on his PhD. He continues to work as a consultant.

In 2013, Walker testified in New York City as an expert against the NYPD's policy of stop and frisk.

From 2015 to 2016, Walker worked as a consultant to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ottawa, Ontario on a project for the development of an Early Intervention System (EIS) for its police force.

Walker has created the Police Accountability Resource Guide, an online guide with links and resources for educators and organizers.

Membership 1964: Ann Arbor Friends of SNCC, spokesman 2001-2004: National Academy of Sciences, Panel Member for "Fairness and Effectiveness in Policing: The Evidence" 2015–present: American Law Institute (ALI), Advisory Committee Member on Principles of Law: Police Investigations 2015-2016: National Academy of Sciences, Consultant on "Project of Proactive Policing"

Awards 2012: Langum Prize, David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History or Biography for Presidents and Civil Liberties From Wilson to Obama 2018: Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska (AFCON), Academic Freedom Award 2018: American Society of Criminology (ASC) Division of Policing, Lifetime Achievement Award

Selected works and publications Selected works

– part of Garland Reference Library of Social Science, Organizations and Interest Groups v. 743, 3

Selected publications