Jaime Brower, PsyD, ABPP
Police and Public Safety Psychology is a specialty defined by the environments in which psychologists serve and the responsibilities they carry. It is a field shaped by work across diverse public safety systems, each with its own culture, demands, and ethical complexity. It is an honor to serve as President of the American Board of Police & Public Safety Psychology (ABPPSP) and to represent a specialty that supports psychologists across this broad and vital landscape.
Police and Public Safety Psychology encompasses psychologists serving law enforcement across jurisdictions and roles, alongside fire and emergency services, military populations, corrections, communications and dispatch, federal and local agencies, and other high-risk public safety systems. These environments are rich, demanding, and ethically complex. The psychologists who work within them bring clinical skill, scientific grounding, operational understanding, and deep respect for the cultures they serve.
Our board certification reflects this breadth and honors the many professional paths that lead psychologists into public safety work. That same breadth is intentionally reflected in the composition of our Board of Directors. Our leadership includes psychologists whose professional experience spans law enforcement, fire and emergency services, military and federal systems, corrections, operational and organizational consultation, assessment, intervention, and wellness-focused roles. This diversity of practice experience strengthens our decision-making, informs our examination process, and ensures that our work remains grounded in the realities of public safety practice across settings rather than any single professional lane.
ABPPSP is a specialty board of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Board certification in this specialty represents advanced professional competence beyond licensure and reflects a psychologist’s ability to integrate science, ethics, cultural awareness, and applied judgment in environments where decisions carry real responsibility. Our examination process is peer-reviewed and performance-based, designed to assess how psychologists think and practice within public safety systems, not simply what they know.
I believe deeply in the value of a certification process that is rigorous while remaining respectful and collegial. Board certification through ABPPSP is intended to be meaningful, reflective, and grounded in real-world practice. It is not about perfection, nor is it about narrowing the specialty. It is about recognizing psychologists who demonstrate sound judgment, professional integrity, and competence across the varied domains of public safety psychology.
Education and professional development are essential to the continued strength of this specialty. The American Academy of Police and Public Safety Psychology (AAPPSP) supports training, scholarship, and continuing education that reflect both foundational psychological principles and the evolving needs of public safety professionals and systems.
As President, my focus is on stewardship of this specialty and the psychologists who choose to be part of it. That means maintaining clarity in our certification process, supporting examiners and mentors, strengthening communication, and honoring the diverse professional identities that fall under the umbrella of Police and Public Safety Psychology. Most importantly, it means remembering why this work matters and who it ultimately serves.
Whether you are exploring board certification, actively pursuing it, or already a board-certified specialist, I welcome you. This specialty is defined not by a single role or setting, but by a shared commitment to thoughtful, ethical, and competent practice in service of public safety professionals and the communities they protect.
Warm regards,
Jaime Brower, PsyD, ABPP
President
American Board of Police & Public Safety Psychology