CJ 236 - Policing

Credits: 5
Introduces students to the history and theories of policing, organizational structures (federal, state, and local), chain of command and hierarchy within policing. Includes procedures and methods of operation of police with emphasis on discretionary powers of the working police officer, public perception of policing, ethics, and police deviance. Introduces students to career opportunities and current trends in law enforcement including diversity, equity, and inclusion with an antiracist mindset.

Enrollment Requirement: CJ& 101 and ENGL& 101 or higher; or instructor consent.

Course Fee: $5.00

Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Comprehend the historical development of the role, structure, styles, and functions of law enforcement organizations to present day.
Understand the current trends in the hiring process including the importance of communication skills for law enforcement.
Evaluate the differences between local, city, county, state, and federal police agencies.
Analyze situations involving discretion, ethics, police culture, and misconduct.
Explain the history of policing and hiring process as it relates to the exclusion of minority groups, and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the future of policing.

Program Outcomes

Give reasons for conclusions, assumptions, beliefs and hypotheses.
Meet obligations necessary to complete individual and group tasks.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.
Responsibility - Responsibility encompasses those behaviors and dispositions necessary for students to be effective members of a community. This outcome is designed to help students recognize the value of a commitment to those responsibilities which will enable them to work successfully individually and with others.
Diversity and Equity - In order to advance equity and social justice, students will be able to examine their own and others’ identities, behaviors, and/or cultural perspectives as they connect to power, privilege, and/or resistance.