Robert McCrie began his career in protection as a security guard in his home town of Toledo, Ohio. Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree, he began his teaching career in biology at the University of Toledo. He subsequently conducted research and studied in the US and Denmark. He next became an advertising copywriter on scientific and consumer accounts at a series of New York City advertising agencies. In 1970, he left advertising and started a newsletter concerned with protection of assets from loss. The next year he began consulting in a wide variety of issues concerning security. In the 1970’s McCrie joined the advisory board of John Jay’s Security Management Institute. In the following years, he became more involved at John Jay planning programs, lecturing, and aiding students. In 1986, McCrie joined the faculty on a tenure-track line, eventually reaching full professor and serving as chair (1997-2003). En route he obtained a doctorate in urban history under Richard C. Wade. McCrie has written and edited widely in the field, including Security Operations Management, published by Butterworth-Heinemann. In recent years, he has become committed to the radical reform of prisons in the US and other countries.