Dr. Abigail Tucker is a Board-Certified Police and Public Safety Psychologist who specializes in behavioral health across public safety, community mental health, corrections, and the broader criminal justice system. She provides expert testimony, organizational consulting, program development, and evidence-informed training to agencies serving high-stress and safety-critical environments. Her work integrates clinical expertise, operational understanding, and a commitment to practical, research-backed solutions that improve care, reduce risk, and strengthen wellness.
Dr. Tucker serves as Adjunct Faculty at both Colorado State University Global—teaching in their Emergency Responder and Military Psychology Program—and at her alma mater, Nova Southeastern University, where she teaches in the College of Psychology and the Fischer College of Education and Criminal Justice. She is also a national training instructor for the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project and a co-founder and trainer with Heroes Active Bystandership Training.
Engaging with, listing to, and supporting the community is foundational to Dr. Tucker's philosophy and values. Dr. Tucker served on Colorado Commission Criminal and Juvenile Justice and in the past has served on the Colorado Department of Youth Services Community Board Northeast Region and other local and state taskforce efforts on matters related to the nexus of justice system and behavioral health. Additionally, Dr. Tucker is an active member of American Psychological Association Division 18 (Public Service), serves on the Board of the International Association of Correctional & Forensic Psychology (IACFP) and the American Psychology Law Society; with prior roles as APA Division 18 Continuing Education Sponsor and Division 18 Criminal Justice Co-editor for The Gavel. As a Meals on Wheels volunteer, she also enjoys the chance to hear from older adults in her community. As a volunteer therapist for Give an Hour Dr. Tucker offers ongoing pro-bono services to veterans, military, victims of crime and individuals in the justice system.
• Tucker, A., Palmer, L., Hilkey, S., & Kinde, L. (2025, October 19). The intersection of qualified immunity, duty to intervene, and psychology [Conference presentation]. International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Convention, Denver, CO, United States. https://theiacpconference.org.
• American Correctional Association. (2025, August 23). Mental health roundtable: Advancing best practices [Conference panel]. 155th Congress of Corrections, Denver, CO, United States. Moderated by Dean Aufderheide; Panelists: Jeffery Metzner, William Lunsford, Kellie Wasko, Seaaria Reedy, Abigail Tucker, & Jonny Jaquess.
• Tucker, A., & Eno Louden, J. (2025, August). Navigating ethical challenges in forensic and correctional psychology amid policy shifts [Invited panel]. Division 41 Symposium, American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Washington, DC, United States.
• Tucker, A., & Chambers, M. (2025, July 17). See something, say something™ is not enough to protect your EMS workforce [Conference presentation]. Pinnacle EMS Leadership Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
• Tucker, A.S., Nelson, E., O’Malley, P, Singh, A., and Cox, J. (2025, June 6). Building and Rebuilding Trust: Reflection and Action in Professionalism. [Presentation]. Academy for Professionalism in Health Care International Hybrid Conference. Virtual and Chicago, Illinois.
• Tucker, A. S. (2025, April 8). Prevent harm with active bystandership in police & corrections [Webinar]. Division of Forensic Behavioral Sciences, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.
• Tucker, A. (2025, January 27). See Something, Say Something™ is a False Narrative! Active Bystandership in Community Corrections Prevents Harm to Staff, Supervisees, and the Community. [Presentation]. American Probation and Parole Association (APPA). Las Vegas, N.V
• Palmer, E. A. and Tucker, A. (2024, October 20). Applying the Science of Organizational Change to Police Organizations: What Police Executives Can Learn from the Research. [Presentation]. International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Psychological Services Section. Boston, M.A.
• DiTrolio, E., Gonshak. P., Clark, M., and Tucker, A. & Dvoskin, J. (2024, February 20). Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Learning Session Eleven: Bystandership during Critical Incidents. [Recorded Webinar]. Georgetown Law, Washington D.C.
• Tucker, A., Dvoskin, J., Rice, K. & Hanna, G. (2023, June 23). The role of active bystandership in correctional setting: A discussion to prevent harm and promote wellness. [Conference presentation]. 5th North American Correctional Criminal Justice Psychology Conference (NACCJPC) Toronto, Ontario.
• American Psychological Association. (2023, May 4). Careers in Applied Psychology: Public Service Psychology. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaXzM7RUbNg.
• Tucker, A. & Dvoskin, J. (2023, April 14). Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Learning Session One: Social Science Deep Dive. [Recorded Webinar]. Georgetown Law, Washington D.C.
• Tucker, A., Dvoskin, J., Di Trolio, E. & Parker, D. (2022, March 19). Police Peer Intervention: Demanding Community and Officer Safety. [Conference presentation]. American Psychology - Law Society 2022 Conference, Denver Colorado.
• Batastini, A., Dvoskin, J., Jackson, R., Morgan, R., Tucker, A., Patel, M. (2022, March 18). Corrections Committee: Fixing the rural correctional problem: A practical discussion about where to go from here. [Conference presentation]. American Psychology - Law Society 2022 Conference, Denver Colorado.
• Tucker, A. (2021, November, 3). Harnessing the Power of Positive Psychology & Avoiding the Toxic Positivity Trap [Webinar]. Colorado State Probation Virtual Conference; Probation Overall Wellbeing (POW).
• Tucker, A. Dvoskin, J., & Parson, B. (2021, August, 13). Police Peer Intervention: An Active Bystander Approach and the Role of Psychology [Recorded Webinar]. American Psychological Association 2021 Virtual Convention.
• Simera, R., Heil, P., Tucker, A., Melendrez, B., Smuts, R. and Pang, S. (Presenters). Academic Training to Inform Police Responses and Policy Research Associates, Inc. (Producers). (2021, March 2). Transforming Dispatch and Crisis Response Services: Meeting Challenges with Innovation. [Webinar]. https://www.theiacp.org/projects/academic-training-to-inform-police-responses.
• Gianzero, R., Cannon, C. and Tucker, A. (2020, May). P3- Two Psychologists and a Pastor discuss healthy mental and faith responses to pandemic including topics of grief, habit and ritual, and community. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVMibOe8_L6Ua9q59KofjrQ.
• Abreu, D., Tucker, A., Buckley, L., and Fallen, A. (2018, July 16). From Jail to Community Behavioral Health: Ensuring Continuity of Care [Recorded Webinar].
• Gonzalez, M. (2016, December 12). Suicide in Colorado: Reversing silence and stigma. [Recorded Interview]. https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/news/insight-surviving-suicide/.
• Tucker, A. S., & Eno Louden, J. L. (2025, in press). Active bystandership as a framework for navigating ethical challenges in correctional psychology. On Board with Professional Psychology. American Board of Professional Psychology.
• Eno Louden, J., & Tucker, A. (2025, November). Persistence is resistance: Keeping research afloat when it feels like you are on a sinking ship. American Psychology–Law Society (AP-LS) Newsletter. Retrieved from https://ap-ls.org/newsletter.
• Hoffman, L., Tucker, A., Dvoskin, J., & Kurtz, L. A. (2025, September). Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) employee wellness guidance (COPS-R1183). U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-r1183-pub.pdf
• Tucker, A. S., & Rice, K. C. (2025, in press). Law enforcement consultation on Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE). In K. Heilbrun & D. DeMatteo (Eds.), Community-based psychological services with justice-involved individuals (Chap. 15). Oxford University Press. (Manuscript in press).
• Kurtz, L.A. & Tucker, A.S. (2022). Active bystandership for law enforcement: Improving public safety by creating a policing culture of peer intervention. Psychological Services. doi.org/10.1037/ser0000728
• Tucker, A. and Palmer, L. (2022). Designing a Wellness Program for Smaller Departments that Support Officer Wellness and Community Safety. Police Chief, 89(5) 38-43.
• Van Hasselt, V.B. & Malcolm, A.S. (2005). Special issue on the role of law enforcement in domestic violence. Journal of Family Violence, 20, 1, 1-2.
• Malcolm, A.S., Seaton, J., Perera, A., Sheehan, D.C., & Van Hasselt, V.B. (2005). Critical incident stress debriefing and law enforcement: An evaluative review. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 5, 261-278.
• Malcolm, A.S. (2006). Community Mental Health and Treatment for Juveniles. In Seifert, K. (Ed.), How Children Become Violent: Keeping Your Kids Out of Gangs, Terrorist Organizations, and Cults (202-212). Boston, MA: Acanthus Publishing.
• Malcolm, A.S. (2007). Law Enforcement Officer Stress Survey: The Research and the Reality. (Abstract only). International Journal of Critical Incident Stress.
• Van Hasselt, V.B., Sheehan, D.C., Malcolm A.S., Sellers, A.H., Baker, M.T., & Couwels, J. (2008). The Law Enforcement Officer Stress Survey (LEOSS): Evaluation of Psychometric Properties. Behavior Modification, 32 (1) 133-151.
• Tucker, A.S., Van Hasselt, V.B., Spaulding, T., & Henry, J. (2008). CISM in a Mid-Sized Police Department: A Case Illustration. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 9 (4), 1-6.
• Tucker, A.S., Van Hasselt, V.B., & Russell, S. (2008). Law Enforcement Response to the Mentally Ill: An Evaluative Review. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 9 (3), 236-250.
• Tucker, A.S., Van Hasselt, V.B., Vecchi, G.M., & Browning, S.L. (2010). Dealing with the Mentally Ill: The Law Enforcement Response. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.
• Tucker, A.S. & Capelin, J. (2011). Post-Critical Incident: Considerations. Ireland, C. A., Fisher, M. & Vecchi, G.M. Conflict and Crisis Communication: Principles and Practice.
• Browning, L. , Van Hasselt, V.B., Tucker, A.S., & Vecchi, G.M. (2011). Dealing with Individuals who have Mental Illness: The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in Law Enforcement. The British Journal of Forensic Practice, 13, (4).
• Tucker, A.T., Van Hasselt, V.B. Mendez, J., Palmer, E. (2012) Critical Incident Training (CIT) in Jail/Detention Setting: A Case Illustration. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 14(3):209-15.