Scott is a full professor in the State University of New York – Buffalo State. In 2006, he earned a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York at Albany. Since then he has published over 35 peer-reviewed research articles focusing on empirical examinations of police decision making, police attitudes, and police culture. 

Scott’s research has examined the arrest and criminal charging decisions when officers handle domestic violence incidents, police officer’s attitudes about the use of force, police officer self-motivation, diffusion of policing innovations, aspects of police militarization, the use of body-worn cameras, and the factors influencing an officer’s use of deadly force. 

Scott was selected twice as the Futurist Scholar in Residence with the Behavioral Science Unit at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy in Quantico, VA. In addition, he worked in the COPS Office with the U.S. Department of Justice, and served as a police officer in Houston, TX.