30-504-503Overview of Criminal Justice
Course Information
Description
Through classroom lecture and WI Department of Justice 720 Academy integration exercises, students will learn and apply skills addressed in the following WI Department of Justice 720 Academy Phase I curriculum framework topics: Academy Orientation, Fundamentals of Criminal Justice, Ethics I, Cultural Competence, Agency Policy, and Professional Communication Skills I.
Total Credits
1
Course Competencies
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I.A.1. Demonstrate recognition of academy rules and regulationsAssessment StrategiesStudents will write a letter to the Academy Director about their acceptance of the academy rules and regulations.Criterialetter contains the student’s signatureletter has a signed copy of the Academy Rules and Regulations attachedletter has a signed copy of the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics attachedletter summarizes the student’s understanding of the recruit academy testing policiesletter indicates that the student has read and understands the attached documentsletter includes correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling
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I.B.1. Distinguish between the roles and functions of courts with jurisdiction in WisconsinAssessment Strategiesgroup discussion on court functionsCriteriadetermine which violations are appropriate for a municipal court versus a state courtexplain that municipal courts can act only on matters covered by municipal ordinancesexplain what an ordinance isexplains what a forfeiture isexplain that municipal courts generally are limited to imposing forfeitures for ordinance violations
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I.B.2. Determine modern law enforcement functions and policies from an historical perspectiveAssessment Strategiesprovide modern day examples of Robert Peel’s nine principlesCriteriaparticipate in a discussion comparing early law enforcement positions protecting walled cities with private security guards at today’s gated communitieslist at least nine modern day examples of Sir Robert Peel’s principlesshow through their examples that they understand Sir Robert Peel’s principles
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I.B.3. Identify the role of law enforcement officers in American societyAssessment Strategiesdevelop civilian expectations of law enforcement officers detailing which of these expectations they feel will be the most difficult to fulfill.Criteriaparticipate in a discussion of the issues surrounding a law enforcement agency that is an extension of a political officialreview the Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitutionparticipate in a discussion on what political influences there are on today’s law enforcement officersdiscuss how the primary goals of law enforcement fit with community expectations
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I.B.4. Differentiate between the roles and functions of federal, state, and local law enforcement agenciesAssessment Strategiesgroup discussion on the roles of state and federal law enforcement agenciesCriteriadetermine which state and/or federal agencies they would contact for assistance during an investigationlist the duties that are the responsibility of the county sherifffind a local ordinance creating a municipal police department and list the duties of the police chiefprovide a review of state and federal law enforcement agency websites
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I.B.5. Incorporate community policing strategies into your communityAssessment Strategiesexamples of community-oriented policing programsexamples of individual community members working with law enforcement to address crime (can either be a program at an agency in Wisconsin or an example students find on a agency website, etc.)Criteriareview the US Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) website at www.cops.usdoj.govidentify benefits and challenges to community-oriented policingdefine community-oriented policing as a concept where law enforcement and citizens work together in creative ways to solve community problems related to crime, fear of crime, social and physical disorder and general neighborhood conditionsresearch examples of community-oriented policing programs at a Wisconsin law enforcement agency and/or find examples of programs through an Internet search and explain why they are considered community policing and if they would work in their community
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I.B.6. Illustrate problem-oriented policing strategiesAssessment Strategiesprovide examples of problem-oriented policing programs/activities (can either be a program at an agency in Wisconsin or another agency.Criteriadefine problem-oriented policing as a policing strategy that involves the identification and analysis of specific crime and disorder problems in order to develop effective response strategies in conjunction with ongoing assessment. This strategy places more emphasis on research and analysis as well as crime prevention and the engagement of public and private organizations in the reduction of community problemsidentify benefits and challenges to problem-oriented policingdescribe the SARA model and the problem-solving triangleprovide a review of the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing website at www.popcenter.orgprovide an example and explanation of a problem-oriented policing program at a Wisconsin law enforcement agency or find an example of a program through an Internet search
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I.B.7. Evaluate other policing strategiesAssessment Strategiescomparing strategies such as the "intelligence-led" strategy and Data-Driven and System Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety such as DDACTSCriteriadescribe the "intelligence-led" strategy which is a strategic, future-oriented and targeted approach to crime control, focusing upon the identification, analysis and 'management' of persisting and developing 'problems' or 'risks'explain Data-Driven and System Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety which integrates location-based traffic crash, crime, calls for service, contacts, and officer-initiated activity data to establish effective and efficient methods for deploying law enforcement resources and addressing crime and safetydiscuss other policing strategies that the class or instructor feels is relevant
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I.B.8. Apply principles of crime preventionAssessment StrategiesProvide examples of crime prevention programs (can either be a program in an agency in Wisconsin or an example students find on an agency website, etc.)Criteriaexplain the theory of crime prevention; that crime is a multidimensional problem that requires multiple responses from a variety of individuals and groups within the communitydiscuss that crime prevention can be divided into three approaches; primary, secondary, and tertiary crime prevention. Each type of crime prevention attacks criminality at a different stage of developmentdescribe components of the primary prevention approach: Environmental Design, Neighborhood Watch, General Deterrence, Public Education, Social Crime Prevention, and Private Securitydescribe components of the secondary prevention approach; Identification and Prediction, Situational Crime Prevention, Community Policing, Crime Area Analysis, Substance Abuse, and Schools and Crime Preventiondescribe components of the tertiary crime prevention approach; Specific Deterrence, Incapacitation, and Rehabilitation and Treatment
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I.Z.1. Describe basic ethics terms and conceptsAssessment Strategieswrite out a situation describing personal feelings in a particular area that could influence law enforcement decisionCriteriadescribe a common law enforcement situationexplain how personal feelings could influence decisionexplain how law enforcement officers would be expected to react to this situation under normal circumstances
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I.Z.2. Describe how professionalism, ethics, and moral standards relate to a law enforcement careerAssessment Strategiesdefend decisions based on the Code of Ethics or Oath of HonorCriteriadescribe the decision they made based on the case studysupport decision by referring to specific portions of the Code of Ethics or Oath of Honor
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I.Z.3. Develop skills for making the best decisions and choicesAssessment Strategiesmake a decision using an ethical decision-making modelCriteriaidentify the conflict of interest in a casemake a decision using an ethical decision-making modeldetail how steps of the model were used to reach a decision
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I.V.1. Demonstrate cultural self-awarenessAssessment Strategiescompleting a diversity self-assessmentanalyzing personal biases and relationship to duties as a professional law enforcement officerCriteriadiscuss how everyone comes from different backgrounds and cultures and that each of us is influenced by that background or cultureidentify personal biases
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I.V.2. 2. Examine the concept of implicit bias and how it can impact the perception and behaviors of law enforcement officersAssessment Strategiescomplete the Harvard Implicit Bias Test.attend a meeting /event of a cultural group or research a cultural group they do not identify with and report back on that group during the Cultural Competence 2 course in Phase ThreeCriteriarecognize their personal biases, even hidden ones, and discusses how those could affect them as they do their job as a law enforcement officercompare what biases they thought they had with the results of the implicit bias testresearch a culture they do not identify with to learn more about that culture
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I.D.1. Describe the role of policies in agency operationsAssessment Strategiesclassifying policies into type categoriesexplaining the reasoning behind your classificationCriteriadetermine if the policy is mandatory, ministerial, discretionary, need to know or need to reference (or a combination of categories)articulate why a policy was placed in a particular categoryidentify the terms or phrases found in the policy that determined the classification category
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I.D.2. Apply agency policies effectively in order to produce desired outcomesAssessment Strategiesdeveloping a system for learning agency policiesCriteriaplan includes consultation with an agency staff personplan includes a reference to identifying the mandatory polices
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I.S.1. Apply professional communication skillsAssessment Strategiesevaluating your communication skills to become more aware of your communication habitsdemonstrating "good listener" skills during a simulated conversation/contact with another personCriteriaevaluate communication skills using the self-evaluation form in the student textexplain the role for the sender in the basic communication modelexplain the importance of sending a clear and concise messageexplain the role of the receiver in the basic communication modelapply active listening skills during contacts and interviewsapply guidelines for asking and responding to questionsapply guidelines for making requests and giving ordersdisplay a professional tone and demeanor during the contact or interviewintroduce self and explains the reason for your contact in a way that sets the tone for a positive interactionask questions that will help you gather information that will allow you to resolve the call/contactdecide what action to take and how you will end the interaction
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I.S.2. Incorporate communication skills in specific situationsAssessment Strategiesevaluating typical responses given by officers and re-writing the responses to be more helpful and professionalCriteriaidentify the benefits and barriers to communication in the workplaceindicate a better manner of responding to a question or statement from another individualidentify positive ways to communicate with friends and family while off duty