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JUSTICE for All
by Laura Lyjak
Do you have a desire to help people? Do you want to make a difference in the world? If so, you may want to consider a career in law enforcement.
Yes, law enforcement. Many positions in law enforcement require physical stamina, a clean background and a high tolerance for stress. But after that, the field is wide open to a long list of special talents so diverse almost anyone can find a niche.
Think about it this way: If you’re a whiz at computing or accounting, the FBI might be interested in you. If you like kids, becoming a juvenile officer may give you the opportunity to make a difference in a young person’s life. If you love horses, you’re a perfect candidate for a mounted patrol. Park patrols and rangers spend most of their days out of doors.
Options include academy, two- and
four-year degrees
There are three general methods
of entry for those interested in a
career in law enforcement. One is
to enter a police academy. Another
is to pursue an associate degree
in criminal justice, then transfer
into a four-year program. The
third is to enter a bachelor’s
program directly.
Police academies can be affiliated
with a particular police department
or with academic institutions like a
community college. The length of
police academy training can vary
from eight weeks to six months,
but all states have minimum
requirements.
Police academy training provides classroom learning of the law and crime, physical training, specialized driving instruction and firearms training.
Graduates are qualified to become officers in city, county and state police departments. But that doesn’t mean all officers have the same job description. Some work in small towns, others in large cities; some choose highway patrol, others choose harbor patrol; some get specialized training for SWAT units, others might become detectives.
If you pursue a four-year degree in criminal justice, you’ll find that the variety of interesting specialties is nearly endless. Any law enforcement careers at the federal level such as the FBI, DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) and ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) require a college degree as well as graduation from the agency’s academy. In the case of the FBI, a specialty in accounting, computer science or a foreign language is highly valued, but federal law enforcement isn’t the only avenue for criminal justice majors.
Setting the stage for
graduate studies
For those who desire it, a degree in criminal justice can also be the
foundation for pursuing graduate work in criminology or going on to law
school. County, state and federal courts offer a myriad of opportunities
from court clerks to probation officers to lawyers and judges. So, if you
have the inclination to service the public in law enforcement or criminal
justice, think first about your talents and interests. Then go ahead and
find your niche.
OCC’s CREST Project Trains to Combat TerrorismAt a well attended October 8 news conference, OCC Chancellor Richard Thompson announced to area television and radio stations, along with local newspapers, the College’s expanded plans for its Combined Regional Emergency Services Training (CREST) center. Flanked by board members and representatives from local public service agencies and the FBI, Chancellor Thompson said that the OCC Board of Trustees made expanding CREST a "number one priority" at its September 15 board meeting. The enhanced project will provide additional training for police, fire and emergency medical services to combat terrorist and possible biological weapons activity in southeastern Michigan. "The tragic events of September 11 have signaled that emergency preparedness should not be taken for granted, and that cooperative training among police, fire, EMS and other agencies is imperative," the Chancellor told attendees. He also announced plans to raise an additional $6 million to complete the expanded version of CREST, pointing out that "Michigan residents can have a tremendous impact on fighting terrorism and supporting emergency personnel right here at home by contributing to CREST." One very visible way of making such a contribution is to participate in paving a "Pathway of Honor." Two sizes of bricks (4 x 8 for $100 and 8 x 8 for $250) are available for purchase. They will be used in a pathway leading to the CREST classroom building. Each brick will be replicated in miniature as a keepsake for the donor. CREST, a simulated city rising on 22 acres of OCC’s Auburn Hills Campus, will feature a bank, motel, offices, convenience store, school and three residences. A classroom building and a specially designed "burn building" — where participants will learn to fight many types of fires in a controlled environment — will also be part of the development. Although there are several facilities similar to CREST across the country, OCC Public Services Director William Furtaw says none are open to local or regional public safety forces: "Two of them – Hogan’s Alley, the FBI’s National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and Glyncoe in Georgia – only train federal agents. A facility in Los Angeles provides scenario-based training for its police department, while facilities in Texas and Oklahoma offer such programs for fire- fighters and emergency medical technicians." CREST has been endorsed by the Michigan Association of Police Chiefs and Michigan Fire- fighters Association, among many other emergency services agencies and law enforcement agencies. The project is funded through a combination of local millage, state, federal and private money. For information on CREST or on making a donation to the project, contact OCC Foundation Director Jill Dunphy at 248-341-2346. |