The Bureau of Justice Statistics announces the departure of Alexis R. Piquero, PhD, who is returning to the University of Miami to resume his teaching and research career. Dr. Piquero joined BJS in August 2022. During his time as director, Dr. Piquero elevated BJS’s public profile by engaging with stakeholders to share information about the scope and value of statistics produced by BJS. Under his leadership, BJS launched new data visualization features and a new report series, Just the Stats, aimed at presenting important data on key crime and justice questions in easily digestible ways. We thank Dr. Piquero for his service and wish him continued success in his academic and research career.
Principal Deputy Director Kevin M. Scott, PhD, will serve as the head of BJS. Dr. Scott has been with BJS since 2017 and brings a wealth of subject matter expertise, statistical knowledge, and management skills. Under his leadership, BJS will continue the important work of serving as the primary statistical agency of the Department of Justice responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating statistics on crime, individuals who commit crimes, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government.