Quantcast
Channel: CJ In the Know
Viewing all 726 articles
Browse latest View live

Dr. King Appointed to IACP Policy Board

$
0
0
Dr. William King was appointed the IACP's National Law Enforcement Policy Center board.
Dr. William King was appointed the IACP's National Law Enforcement Policy Center board.

Dr. William King, Associate Dean of Research and Program Development at the College of Criminal Justice, was recently appointed to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) National Law Enforcement Policy Center (NLEPC), Advisory Board. The board helps develop model policies and procedures for law enforcement agencies.

“I am honored to serve the IACP and the law enforcement community by serving on the Policy Center’s Advisory Board,” said Dr. King. “This appointment reflects the influence of the College of Criminal Justice in justice issues at the national level, and I am looking forward to contributing to IACP’s mission.”

Dr. William King poses with a variety of bullets.
Dr. William King conducted a study of the NIBIN system for the National Institute of Justice.
The College, one of the oldest and largest criminal justice programs in the country, has been at the forefront of research on issues in the field. As Associate Dean, Dr. King oversees projects on such key issues as eyewitness identification, sexual assault investigations, ballistics evidence, gangs, crime victim issues, toxicology and DNA studies, to name a few.

“Dr. King’s contributions to the board are directly aligned with the contributions the College of Criminal Justice at SHSU hopes to make to the field,” said Interim Dean and Director Phillip Lyons. “Good policy and best practice are informed by sound research and Dr. King is very much on top of it.”

Law enforcement officers examine eyewitness identification procedures at a LEMIT training.
Law enforcement officers examine eyewitness identification procedures at a LEMIT training.
The College also conducts research for the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT), a premiere professional development program in management and leadership for law enforcement professionals in Texas.

“Having Dr. Bill King appointed to such an important IACP advisory committee, such as the National Law Enforcement Policy Center (NLEPC), is a testament to his expertise on law enforcement related issues,” said Dr. Rita Watkins, Executive Director of LEMIT. “Dr. King has researched and submitted key results in a manner that is instrumental in helping police agencies in Texas and across this county establish and implement sound policies and procedures. Ongoing research in the law enforcement field helps agencies identify best practices and Bill King is committed to getting timely research out to the field and in the hands of practitioners who face those issues daily.”

International Association of Chiefs of Police logo.As an arm of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the 11-member NLEPC board oversees the development and update of model policies for day-to-day operations and administrative procedures in law enforcement agencies. Since 1987, the board has produced more than 125 white papers on key issues in criminal justice, most recently on the use of body worn cameras by police officers.

“The intent is to put together model policies and procedures to help provide the best practices in administrative and operational areas,” said Philip Lynn, Manager of the NLEPC. “Each one comes with a research paper that reflects legally sound policy and contemporary and best practices, particularly for medium and small-sized cities. These are not standards, but rather recommendations.”

Patrol dog on the run.The board, which includes representatives from police leadership, accrediting agencies and academia from across the country, are expected to examine policy revisions on missing children, patrol dogs, personal appearance and standards of conduct at upcoming sessions. These revisions are generally reviewed if the policies are outdated or if there have been changes to the law.

The model policies are currently contained in seven volumes and cover the gamut of day-to-day operational issues of departments. Among some of the most recent issues discussed are:

    A SWAT officer in silouette against the sunset.
  • Excited Delirium
  • Recording Police Activities
  • Interviewing and Interrogating Juveniles
  • Critical Incident Stress Management
  • Special Weapons and Tactics
  • Retaliatory Conduct by Employees
  • Missing Persons with Alzheimer’s
  • Social Media
  • License Plate Readers
  • Stalking/
  • Pregnancy
  • Personal Relationships in the Workplace


Real Talk w/CJ: Alfred Bryant, Child Protective Services

$
0
0


Wed Apr 8, 2015
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom

Alfred Bryant is with the Centralized Placement Unit for Child Protective Services.

LIFE Expands Across State Lines at LEMIT

$
0
0
The first graduating class of the LIFE program in Arizona.
The first graduating class of the LIFE program in Arizona.

In November, 23 female officers, representing 16 law enforcement agencies across the state of Arizona, attended the first Leadership Inventory for Female Executives (LIFE) class held by the Law Enforcement Management Institute outside Texas.

The historical event in Mesa was the brainchild of Lt. Paula Veach of the Phoenix Police Department, who attended the LIFE program in Texas in 2013. LIFE is designed to bridge the existing gap of female representation at executive levels of law enforcement in Texas and nationwide. The goal of the course is to offer an arena for executive development among existing and future female leaders in policing.

Lt. Paula VeachLt. Paula Veach“I knew that LIFE was something I wanted for the women in my state,” said Lt. Veach. “We must leverage the skills, knowledge, and ability of every person in our organization in order to truly succeed…I want women to feel empowered and confident in themselves. I want them to know and believe they can make a difference, even if it's just for the people around them. But, to do this, they must engage and act. It isn't enough to sit on the sidelines and wait for someone else to get the job done. That's how LIFE got to Arizona.”

Lt. Leach attended the LIFE program in Texas as part of her doctoral studies at Arizona State University, where she is studying gender, identity, and male congenial environments with an emphasis on leadership. Lt. Leach found that the needs of women in preparing for promotions in law enforcement differ from those of men, and she was seeking a research-based program which addressed issues identified in her study, such as networking and mentoring.

Lt. Veach participated in a group presentation at LIEE at LEMIT.
Lt. Veach participated in a group presentation at LIEE at LEMIT.
Since Arizona had no organization for the development and support of women, Lt. Leach turned to LEMIT.

Cathy Masters, In-Service Coordinator for the Arizona Peace Officer Standards & Training Board, helped launch the program in Arizona. She said the program is helping to break down walls and propel individual career, removing obstacles for women along the way.

“I believe LIFE offered the opportunity to see more successful women in one place, helping to realize that there are more of us who we can reach out to when we need a connection,” said Masters. We are not alone. We are strong and we have the duty to grow stronger and be role models for all others.”

Lt. Veach interacts with female colleagues during LIFE at LEMIT.
LIFE helps women build networks within law enforcement.
"Lt. Veach and Master hope this is the first of many programs to come in their state.

The LIFE program was created in November 2010 through the cooperation between LEMIT and the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) at Bramshill Police College (United Kingdom) was conducted in November 2010. To date, LEMIT has sponsored 11 classes, with three more scheduled in 2015. In addition to the class, LEMIT hosts an annual conference and newsletter for ongoing networking and education.

“LEMIT is looking forward to the building on its relationship with Arizona and developing life-long cohorts with other states across the country,” said Yvette Shorten, Program Lead for LIFE at LEMIT.

National Organization of Hispanics in Criminal Justice

$
0
0

Wed, Feb 4, 2015
6:30pm - 7:45pm
Lowman Student Center, Room 315

Special Presentation: Major General James Marks

$
0
0

Various images from war in the Middle East.

Thu, March 19, 2015
2:30pm - 3:30pm
Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom

Retired Major Gen. James "Spider" Marks is the Executive Dean of the College of Criminal Justice and Security at the University of Phoenix. He will discuss "Terrorist, insurgent, and criminal networks, including discussion about combating Al Qaeda, ISIS, and lone wolf attacks."

Real Talk w/CJ: Alfred Bryant, Child Protective Services

$
0
0


Wed Apr 8, 2015
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom

Alfred Bryant is with the Centralized Placement Unit for Child Protective Services.

Helping Juveniles at the Crossroads of Texas

$
0
0
Pama Hencerling
Pama Hencerling

After nearly 30 years of serving adult and juvenile probationers across the state, Alumna Pama Hencerling recently was presented the Amador R. Rodriguez Lifetime Achievement Award from the Juvenile Justice Association of Texas (JJAT).

As the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer for Victoria and Goliad Counties, Hencerling serves juveniles from pre-hearing through probation for the two country region and operates a 72-bed residential facility that contracts to house juveniles from 50 counties across the state. It also serves as the only juvenile facility to handle pregnant offenders in the state.

Hencerling recently received a Lifetime Acheivement Award from the Juvenile Justice Association of Texas.
Hencerling recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Juvenile Justice Association of Texas.
“The Amador Rodriguez Lifetime Achievement Award is given to members of the juvenile justice profession across Texas recognizing their work in the juvenile justice field,” said William Carter, president of JJAT. “Pama has been a leader in this field all of her career and is very deserving of this award. Her progressive and innovative thinking translates into excellent programs for the youth we serve. She is a model for us all and I am very proud to not only call her a colleague but a friend. The Juvenile Justice Association of Texas is honored to have her as a member and the recipient of this award for 2014.”

Hencerling began her criminal justice career as an intern with the 24th Judicial Community Supervision Corrections Department and was hired as an adult probation officer following graduation. Shortly afterward, the department was split between adult and juvenile probation, and Hencerling was one of three assigned to handle youth cases.

Hencerling at her first job with the 24th Judicial Community Supervision Corrections Department.
Hencerling at her first job with the 24th Judicial Community Supervision Corrections Department.
“It was a lot different, and I wasn’t sure that it was what I wanted to do,” said Hencerling. “But it turned out to be a blessing.”

In 1992, Hencerling was promoted to Chief Juvenile Probation Officer for Victoria County, handling only about 100 referrals a year. That was just before the explosion of juvenile crime hit, spurred on by gangs and drugs, especially crack cocaine. Because the nearest residential facility was 70 miles away in Rockport, Hencerling petitioned county officials for a local unit and a 16-bed, short-term facility was established.

By 1992, that facility was quickly outgrown, and Hencerling again asked for a larger facility, a 72-bed unit that could handle not only pre-hearing juvenile offenders, but also those serving long term post adjudication programs. The Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Center was opened in 1995 by then Texas Governor George W. Bush.

Hencerling oversaw the construction of the Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Center.
Hencerling oversaw the construction of the Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Center.
“It was an undertaking, and it took a lot of convincing of local officials,” she said.

Because Victoria is at the “crossroads” of Texas, that facility has contracts to house juveniles from 50 counties across the region, ranging from the Panhandle to the Valley.
Because the state had no secure facility for pregnant female juvenile offenders, Victoria County established the first program to serve that population and contracted with the then-Texas Youth Commission (renamed the Texas Juvenile Justice Department) to house these young women until they gave birth. The unit is equipped with specialized personnel and programs to address the needs of the young mothers-to-be, including physicians, prenatal services, medical staff, pregnancy preparation classes, and infant and child care classes. Hencerling estimates that 100 babies have been born in the post adjudication program since 1996.

The Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Faciltiy was the first county-run juvenile facility to meet PREA standards.
The Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Facility was the first county-run juvenile facility to meet PREA standards.
The Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Facility was also the first county-run juvenile facility in Texas to meet the new standards of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, which ensures safeguards are in place that provide for the sexual safety of offenders held there.

For her outstanding efforts, Hencerling has earned many accolades, including the 2001 Juvenile Justice Association of Texas Outstanding Achievement in Probation Award, the 2004 Texas Institute on Children and Youth Clayton Morrison Award for Outstanding Service to the Children of Texas, and the 2008 Amador R. Rodriguez Award for Outstanding Juvenile Probation Administrator from the Texas Probation Association.

Hencerling has received numerous awards for her service.
Hencerling has received numerous awards for her service.
“It has been lots of fun, even though I have to deal with kids that have lots of problems,” said Hencerling. “But I am only as good as the people I work with.”

Over the last 30 years, Hencerling has seen significant changes in the juveniles she serves. In the past, the county dealt only with the criminal offenses committed by youth. Today, those needs have expanded to include mental health, substance abuse and learning disability issues.

“We are known as the broker of services,” Hencerling said. “These are very real issues.”

Hencerling is a graduate of Sam Houston State University.
Hencerling is a graduate of Sam Houston State University.
Hencerling has shared what she has learned as an instructor at the Victoria Police Academy and at the Correctional Management Institute of Texas. She has been active with many associations in the state, including the Texas Institute on Children and Youth, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission and the Texas Probation Association.

Hencerling said she learned a lot at Sam Houston State University from professors who shared real life examples from careers in the field along with what was learned in books. She encourages students to participate in an internship or part-time volunteer work in the field before committing to a career.

“You have to want to do this,” said Hencerling. “It’s not like you are going to get rich doing this, however, it is very rewarding if you are in it to make kids and families lives better.”


Celebrating 50 Years of Service: The Legacy of Dean Charles Friel

$
0
0
Dr. Charles Friel during his time as Dean of the College of Criminal Justice.
Dr. Charles Friel during his time as Dean of the College of Criminal Justice.

Dr. Charles M. Friel took over as Dean and Director from 1986-1991 during one of the worst budget crises in Texas, but he found new and innovative ways to keep the College growing and prospering.

Tapped by Dr. George Beto, who had served as Interim Dean for two years, Dr. Friel had been a member of the diverse faculty at the Institution for Contemporary Corrections and Behavioral Sciences since 1967. He joined Sam Houston State University after working at NASA on the Gemini Program, where he monitored the health of astronauts in space.

Dr. Friel at his desk.
Dr. Friel contemplates budgets at his desk.
While Dean, Dr. Friel spent a lot of time lobbying in Austin for the continuation of a special appropriation for the College – which he received with an increase in funding – as well as building support through the vast network of alumni and friends of the College.

Dr. Friel established the Friends of Criminal Justice and the Criminal Justice Alumni Association, identifying 2,500 alumni from the program. Because of the pride these graduates had in the education they received at SHSU, alumni became a resources for students and for funding.

Dean Friel established the CJ Alumni Association at the College.
Dean Friel established the CJ Alumni Association at the College.
As a visual montage of their contributions, Dr. Friel assembled the Friends Wall, a display of calling cards from donors to the College, which still is on display in the hallway near the CJava Café. Dr. Friel also posted “Wanted” posters across the state, seeking graduates from the College. He amassed a loyal group of supporters to enhance program offerings.

“I think if you have a successful academic program, it changes the lives of the people it touches,” Dr. Friel said. “I think people who graduate from an institution should be very proud of their accomplishment and grateful to the faculty that taught them. We need proud alumni because we love them and because they are a benchmark of our success. It is a wonderful reciprocal relationship between the alumni and the institute and the institution and the alumni.”

Dr. Friel mentored students and alumni.
Dr. Friel mentored students and alumni.
The alumni also provided support in other ways. In addition to mentoring students at the College, they became resources for jobs for graduates coming out of the criminal justice program. “I found that if you help someone get a job, they will help you for years to come,” he said.

Dr. Friel established many endowments and scholarships, providing opportunities for alumni who wanted to give back to the school in honor of colleagues killed in the line of duty. One of the biggest scholarship opportunities came from the 100 Club, which donated a scholarship in honor of its chairman who died shortly after attending a meeting. From that grew a tradition that offered a new student scholarship each time the chair of the organization retired.

Dean Friel established many scholarships and endowments.Dean Friel established many scholarships and endowments.During his tenure, Dr. Friel sought to raise the visibility of the college. He took every opportunity to send stories to local newspapers about students and alumni successes and worked with Sam Houston Press to publish criminal justice books that were relevant to practitioners in the field. One of the books was training court administrators on the responsibilities and duties of the job. Others provided crime statistics from across the state, modeled after the Bureau of Justice Statistics nationwide report.

“We had the knowledge base and good connections to the field,” Dr. Friel said.” We were producing very useful knowledge.”

Dean Frield promoted the criminal justice books published by College faculty.
Dean Friel promoted the criminal justice books published by College faculty.
To make students even more competitive, Dr. Friel established a police academy program on campus where students could get their peace officer license after graduation. That accelerated academy, offered in cooperation with Texas A&M and Montgomery County, provided candidates who were instantly employable.

Dr. Friel also introduced computers to the College and training for faculty and staff to use. Dr. Friel had received a donation from Apple in the days before computer became popular in the workplace. He also set up books outlining administrative processes to help future Deans understand the responsibilities of the office.

Dr. Friel also was a great supporter of the arts and initiated the idea to add the collection of Texas flags in and around the Courtroom. It is only one of two full replicate sets of the 13 flags of Texas; the other is at the Statehouse in Austin. “Things like that gave visibility to the program,” he said.

Dr. Friel was responsible for the Sundial in front of the building, which honors those killed in the line of duty.
Dr. Friel was responsible for the Sundial in front of the building, which honors those killed in the line of duty.
During his tenure, Dr. Friel said he was guided in his decision-making processes by the people he met. Particularly influential was an eighth grade girl who wanted to be a FBI agent; the second was a former Marine electrician and his wife who resorted to selling firewood because they couldn’t find work. The couple helped guide his financial decisions –“If I couldn’t explain it to this couple, then I wouldn’t do it,” and the young girl served as a constant reminder of people’s passion the criminal justice profession.

“A passion for this field comes to people very early in life,” Dr. Friel explained to the girl’s father. “In this society, when a kid says they want to dedicate their lives to public service, that is an honorable thing. They should go out to school and do what they want to do.”


Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Changing Criminal Justice Around the World

$
0
0

Polish and American police.

Across the globe, international graduates from the College of Criminal Justice are making a difference in policing and academia in their native countries.

Over the last 50 years, Sam Houston State University has educated and trained professionals in many countries, including Botswana, China, Korea, Jamaica, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey, to name a few. Many of these graduates now serve in high-ranking positions in their countries, making decisions on policies and practices around the world.

Dr. Carl Williams, Jamaican Police Commissioner
Dr. Carl Williams, Jamaican Police Commissioner
Most recently, Dr. Carl Williams was named the new Police Commissioner for the island nation of Jamaica in September, commanding a force of 15,000 to 16,000 employees, including 12,000 sworn officers. The agency is responsible for law and order on the island, the prevention and detection of crime, the investigation of alleged crimes, the protection of life and property, and the enforcement of all criminal laws in the Jamaican penal code.

At SHSU, he studied organized crime and used his research to develop new initiatives to fight lottery scams and guns and gangs. “The academic training helped me to think of new strategies to get the initiatives off the ground,” said Dr. Williams.

Lt. Col. Rafal Wasiak is the advisor to the Commander-in Chief of the Polish National Police. He travels the world enhancing international dialog on police procedures, particularly as a member of the European Union, to fight shared criminal activities such as human trafficking, narcotics, white collar crime and cybercrime.

Picture of Lt. Col. Rafal Wasiak
Lt. Col. Rafal Wasiak
Poland also participates in an international exchange program between Polish and American police and correctional officials from the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas and the Correctional Management Institute of Texas. This allows officers to learn new practices and the latest research in criminal justice in each country.

“Without international cooperation, I do not see a future for the police force,” Lt. Col. Wasiak said. “Criminal organizations are not working locally. They are not even working nationally. They are acting, many of them, internationally.”

In China, Dr. Hongwei Zhang is a professor at the School of Law at Guangxi University, Nanning, and one of the leading scholars on juvenile justice in his country. He developed and teaches various courses in juvenile justice, criminal law and victimology. He also practiced law as the deputy chief procurator in the Nanning Prefectural People’s Procuratorate in Guangxi and has served as a legal expert in criminal and juvenile cases.

Guangzi UniversityDr. Zhang is a faculty member at Guangxi University in China.Dr. Zhang continues to work on research projects on crime and the prosecution system in China and still keeps in touch with and collaborates with faculty from SHSU, including Drs. Raymond Teske, Jihong Solomon Zhao and Ling Ren. As an expert in the field, Dr. Zhang frequently shares his opinion with the Judicial and Legislative Committee of Chinese National People’s Congress as well as the Supreme Court, Supreme Procuratorate and other judicial and government bodies at the national and provincial level. He also hold key positions in professional organizations in Asia.

“It was a Texas-style sunny day when I first arrived in Huntsville,” recalled Dr. Zhang. “The friendliness and warmth of the administrators and faculty made me quickly attached to this place. Most importantly, Criminal Justice Center has a group of distinguished professors with abundant experience of teaching and research. I have to say that they are “the cream of the crop” in their respective fields…As time goes on, my story with my alma mater will continue.”

Elliot Fana, a graduate of the master's in forensic science program, works in Botswana fighting hoof and mouth disease.Elliot Fana, a graduate of the master's in forensic science program, works in Botswana fighting hoof and mouth disease.In Botswana, Elliot Mpolokang Fana headed murder and burglary investigations for the Botswana Police Forensic Laboratory after earning a master’s degree in Forensic Science at Sam Houston State University before joining the private sector. He now works at the Botswana Vaccine Institute, producing vaccines to combat foot and mouth disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

“SHSU opened my eyes, my exposure to the real world of forensics through the internship program I had at the Harris County Medical Examiner’s office,” said Fana. “There I managed to see case work from sample reception up to court presentation of evidence. I then used this observation in setting up an operational molecular laboratory at the Botswana Forensic Laboratory. During my internship I was exposed to the use of CODIS, which I pioneered as soon as I arrived in Botswana.”

Sam Houston State University continues to grow and thrive internationally.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Dean Strecher Ushers in College of Criminal Justice

$
0
0
Dean Victor Strecher
A portrait of Dean Victor Strecher

Upon his appointment in 1978 Dean Victor Strecher persuaded SHSU’s administration to elevate Criminal Justice to become the institution’s seventh college.

During his seven years as Dean, from 1978-1985, Dr. Strecher focused on getting sufficient funding to create a world-class doctoral program, increase research and publications, and attract the brightest students for graduate programs.

“It was exhilarating to be appointed Dean and Director of the College and Center,” said Dr. Strecher. “Sam Houston State’s program was clearly within the top five in the country, and I was flattered to become a part of it. On a purely personal level, the program’s scope and focus were exactly the kind I had always wanted to be associated with.”

Part of the collection from Dr. Strecher's office.
Part of the collection from Dr. Strecher's office.
Dr. Strecher inherited the largest criminal justice program in the nation and its new status as a College increased his ability to attract more funding as well as faculty and students. He also expanded the international dimension of the program.
To expand scholarship opportunities, the College teamed up with the 100 Club of Houston to offer tuition to law enforcement officers from a 12 county region who wanted to get a college education. Concurrently, the College introduced the weekend master’s program for criminal justice professionals, which allowed students to fit classes around their work schedules.

One of the most successful programs during his tenure was the Saudi Arabian Traffic Training Program, which instructed officers from that country for its new highway patrol program. “It is not exaggerating to say the project transformed the Huntsville community into a more cosmopolitan, if sometimes edgy place,” observed Dr. Strecher. “Edgy, because the local community had never before experienced the injection of so large a contingency of young Muslim men, who knew little about the American lifestyle and often behaved in ways that seemed at odds to the conventions of this East Texas town.”

Criminal justice officials from other countries, including police, corrections, jurists and criminologists, also visited the campus. One of the largest contingencies came from Britain.

Dr. Strecher led the Criminal Justice Center for seven years.
Dr. Strecher led the Criminal Justice Center for seven years.
Dr. Strecher also introduced the Beto Chair Lecture Series, where leading criminal justice scholars from around the country were invited to campus to interact with faculty and students. The program, funded by the Houston Endowment, initially had scholars spend a semester at the College; later, it would include shorter term visits from prominent researchers in the field a few times each semester.

To help bolster research, Dr. Strecher promoted new series, such as the Texas Crime Poll, which surveyed state residents about their perceptions on crime in the state. Unlike many other criminal justice programs, the College conducted research that could be used in academia and in practice, ranging from criminology and legal foundations to criminal justice administration.

Dr. Strecher also built a strong program by allowing faculty to experience not only scholarly studies and teaching, but also the administrative end of criminal justice education. Faculty were frequently cycled through administrative posts to provide an evolving model of the knowledge based in their field and how it applies to the top of the organization. Dr. Strecher also is credited with changing the way that faculty are evaluated not only at the College but as SHSU as well. Teaming up with Dean Bobby Marks at the College of Business, the two proposed a new advancement system that was based on merit – such as teaching, research, and publications –instead of the incremental pay and promotion system that was used. Dr. Larry Hoover noted that the change was not greeted warmly in segments of the campus, but Strecher’s commitment to achieving world-class status for Criminal Justice prevailed.

Dr. Strecher changed how faculty were evaluated at SHSU.
Dr. Strecher changed how faculty were evaluated at SHSU.
“My role as Dean and Director was to define the team’s roles and relations and to guide their effort into productive channels, not to personally accomplish the important things that were done,” said Dr. Strecher. “As the College faculty and Center staff grew to meet new program needs, the team worked together to harness and direct all of this energy and effort toward a set of goals that were agreed upon. The result was an organization with mutually supportive parts – quite complex in some ways, because they was so much creative energy suffusing the whole enterprise.”

During his academic career, Dr. Strecher evaluated 33 criminal justice programs across the country, and found a wide variety of offerings – from theoretical institutes to “cop shops.” For him, the College of Criminal Justice had it all.

“The program at SHSU differs in that it meets all the criteria which define a university professional discipline – building the knowledge base of its field through research, publishing its findings for peer review and analysis, instructing students in its knowledge base, and devising applications of its knowledge base for the benefit of society,” said Dr. Strecher. “There are few CJ programs having as wide a scope.” A graduate seminar room adjacent to the main lobby is named in Dean Strecher’s honor.



Juvenile Gang Members Top One Million in U.S., New Study Finds

$
0
0

There are over one million juvenile gang members in the U.S., more than three times the number estimated by law enforcement, according to a recent study.

“Gang membership between ages 5 and 17 years in the United States,” which was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, challenges many popular demographic stereotypes about gangs. The study found that an average of 2 percent of youth in the U.S. are gang members, with involvement highest at age 14, when about 5 percent of youth are in gangs. Youth in gangs also come from all types of backgrounds.

Common stereotype of a Latino gang member.“The public has been led to believe that gang members are black and Latino males and that once someone joins a gang they cannot leave a gang, both of which are patently false,” said David Pyrooz, assistant professor of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University.

Pyrooz, along with his coauthor Gary Sweeten, associate professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University, said that these stereotypes are portrayed by Hollywood and law enforcement.

Two female gang members.The study also found that gangs have high turnover rates of 36 percent, with about 400,000 youth joining gangs, and another 400,000 youth leaving gangs, every year. This means that gangs have to constantly recruit new talent to their groups, not unlike service-industry or other occupations where employees frequently quit after a short period.

“Being a gang member is not all that it is cracked up to be, which is something kids realize once they get involved and find out that the money, cars, girls, and protection is more myth than reality,” said Dr. Pyrooz.

Law enforcement severely undercounts juvenile gang members, with national estimates at 300,000, less than one-third of what was found in the study. The reason, Pyrooz said, is because “law enforcement uses a top-down strategy, recording older and more criminally-involved youth as gang members, which ignores younger and more peripherally gang-involved youth, all of whom are captured in the bottom-up strategy we use in this study.”

Dr. DAvid Pyrooz
Dr. David Pyrooz
Because gang membership has so many negative health and life outcomes, even after someone leaves a gang, relying on law enforcement gang data alone would under-diagnose problems youth violence and ways to respond to it, the study found.

These youth represent an important group to be targeted for prevention and intervention programs. The findings from this study are important for kids, parents, and healthcare professionals to better understand and respond to gangs in our schools, neighborhoods, and care facilities based on facts and not popular perceptions.

Youth male gang member with bat.“Rich and poor, black and white, male and female, and one and two-parent households -- what matters is that law enforcement and healthcare clinicians avoid the stereotypes of these kids when working with this population.” said Sweeten

The authors of the study looked at the number of gang members, the characteristics of youth in gangs, and how many youth join and leave gangs each year in the U.S. They analyzed questions about gang membership that were included in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, nationally representative data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The study can be found at Journal of Adolescent Health

The Woodlands Center Speaker Series: Current Trends and Issues Involving Drones

Grassroots Speaker Series: Dr. Gregory Campbell, U.S. Postal Inspection Services

$
0
0


Tue, Feb 24, 2015
5:30pm - 4:00pm
Haney Auditorium, College of Business Administration

Dr. Gregory Campbell is the Deputy Chief Inspector of Western Field Operations
U.S. postal inspection service. He manages seven Western Field Divisions located in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, and Houston. He is also Executive Liaison for the USPIS Talent Management Initiative. He developed a Law Enforcement Leadership Academy and national mentoring program for the organization.

Dr. Campbell has over 23 years of demonstrated success in federal law enforcement. During his U.S. Postal Inspection Service career, he has served in several Executive leadership positions, including, Inspector in Charge - Washington Division, Inspector in Charge – Global Investigations Division, and Inspector in Charge – Detroit Division.

Contact Miguel Arellano for more information,
(936) 294-4611 or arellano@shsu.edu


Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Advancing Forensic Study at STAFS

$
0
0

Butterfly lands on a skull at STAFS.

by Romney Thomas

The concept of forensic science and forensic anthropology has been fascinating since shows like “CSI,” “NCIS” and “Bones” hit the airwaves more than a decade ago. Part of the appeal of these programs is found in the adrenaline-pinching crunch of solving a case and catching a criminal using advanced scientific techniques.

It’s easy to get lost in the popular perception of what these sciences are and what they do.

Examining the processes of what goes on at the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility brings a new, more grounded sense of the realities of forensic science. The field is clinical, but it’s also incredibly intimate.

Officers learned to distinguish bones in the human skeleton.“You can clearly see that after death, there is still order,” said Joan Bytheway, director of STAFS and specialist in forensic anthropology. “It doesn’t go chaotic after death. There is still order in the process. That’s pretty amazing, really.”

STAFS opened in 2008 as one of only four willed-body donor facilities in the nation and the world at the time. That number has since expanded to six, and a seventh is being built in Australia. The cutting edge research in numerous disciplines conducted at STAFS puts the facility on the map in several fields, but also in forensics at large.

The process can seem overwhelming, but once each piece of the puzzle is sorted, the picture becomes clear. The disciplines that intertwine to find order after death include anthropology, chemistry, microbiology, entomology, and even geology.

“Even from the initial conception of STAFS, I wanted it to be interdisciplinary,” said Bytheway. “We didn’t have an anthropology department, so I needed forensic science to include some other people. We get donations that are so valuable, families give us their loved ones, and we want to use these bodies to get as much information as possible from them. You can see when we’re done, all we have left is the skeleton which we also keep for our records.”

The interdisciplinary flexibility available at STAFS contributes heavily to its success. Being able to quickly adapt to unanticipated situations that arise is a must when so much research is left vulnerable to the elements.

“Some of the lessons learned after the fact are the most interesting,” said Bytheway. “There was one point where we were looking to see if gunshot residue could survive decomposition. The body was in the ground, and we happened to get rain. It turned out to be a great opportunity for entomology to study insects that come into an aquatic environment. Being able to study things that crop up like that is very valuable.”

The learning opportunities at STAFS are abundant for seasoned researchers as well as students. Bytheway estimates that about 75 percent of the students working at STAFS are undergraduates. The research that students participate in helps their futures, and due to the sheer volume of the projects at STAFS their help is also crucial to keep the facility running at its current pace.

Katie Tanner, a senior criminal justice major minoring in forensic anthropology, is one of such students able to take advantage of the opportunities offered at STAFS.

“The resources we have available to help us learn here at STAFS are amazing,” said Tanner. “The people who have donated their bodies to science have made it possible to have a very hands-on learning experience, which is an extremely appreciated gift.”

Tanner, along with fellow student Tonya Parnell, works closely with Bytheway on a cadaver decomposition island (CDI) study.

Officer works on their hands and knees at the crime scene.“The CDI is formed when the fluids from a decomposing body leach out into the soil and kill the surrounding vegetation leaving a dark area basically outlining the body,” said Tanner. “We’ll look for regrowth of vegetation in these areas so that one day law enforcement might use this information to create a timeline of how long remains have been in a certain area depending on regrowth or lack thereof.”

Parnell, a senior biology major who is also minoring in forensic anthropology, has a slightly different perspective of the research opportunities at STAFS than her criminal justice counterparts.

“I care about forensics in a bit of a different way,” said Parnell. “I have no interest in actively being the one to catch a killer, if there is one. What I want to do is give the story back to the person who can’t tell it anymore. Everyone is someone’s child and I think people can forget that when all they see is a skeleton. No one deserves to spend eternity with their corporeal remains in a box, unidentified.”

A teacher examines a human skull.Kaitlin Dilliard, who holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and is currently a senior Criminal Justice major minoring in Forensic Anthropology, has found the opportunity to expand on her working knowledge of forensic techniques at STAFS.

“I have done several things here that I didn’t expect,” said Dilliard. “I have done research that combines my work with facial reconstruction and a 3-D scanner to try and see if there is a measurable asymmetry between the left and right sides of the face and to see if there is a measurable pattern between ethnicities and sexes. I hope this research will allow me to help law enforcement and other students to learn and understand individuals who are no longer known.”

One of the ways to identify victim is by measuring the bones.Researching and developing techniques to recover individuals and give them their identities back does seem to be the main goal of everyone at STAFS.
“When I was in Iraq and I was working on the mass graves there, being able to give those young men, women and children a voice after being in the ground for twenty years was my greatest accomplishment,” said Bytheway. “That led to this place. I want to help victims, to find them and tell their story.”


















100 Club Leads the Way in Scholarship for Officers and Students

$
0
0

The

Three top executives at the Houston Police Department rose through the ranks in the U.S.’s fourth largest city with the help of a 100 Club Scholarship program started right here at Sam Houston State University.

Chief of Staff Martha Montalvo, Executive Assistant Chief George Buenik, and Assistant Chief M.D. Slinkard credit the scholarships with allowing them to continue their education and, as a result, to move to top positions in the agency.

Houston Police Chief of Staff Martha Montalvo
Houston Police Chief of Staff Martha Montalvo
“It helped me tremendously,” said Martha Montalvo, one of four Executive Assistant Chiefs at the Houston Police Department. “I had a growing family and if it had not been for the scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to continue my education. We had a lot of other responsibilities.”

During the last quarter century, the 100 Club funded 720 scholarships for active police officers and supervisors as well as criminal justice students – many of them at the College of Criminal Justice.

One of the recent student scholarship recipients was Frank Mosca, who received the Howard Moon Scholarship in 2013 and is now working as an officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Nogales, Arizona. He was grateful to the organization that helped him pursue his dream of becoming a federal agent, that continues to protect officers with specialized equipment and that supports families of officers killed in the line of duty.

Mosca was among the 100 Club scholarship recipients in 2013.
Mosca was among the 100 Club scholarship recipients in 2013.
“I felt very honored to have received a 100 Club scholarship,” said Mosca. “It is a very prestigious organization.”

Originally founded in 1953 by 100 men, who each contributed $100 to assist families of fallen law enforcement officers, the organization later expanded its offerings to fund life-saving equipment for law enforcement agencies and scholarships for officers to further their education in criminal justice. Today, there are more than 30,000 members who contributed $42 million to dependents, equipment and scholarships. The organization, which covers 18 counties in Texas, initially collaborated with Sam Houston State University to offer those educational opportunities, and later expanded the program to two other Texas universities.

Rick Hartley accepts an award on behalf of the 100 Club from the FBI in 2012.
Rick Hartley accepts an award on behalf of the 100 Club from the FBI in 2012.
“The end result has been a win-win,” said Rick Hartley, Executive Director of the 100 Club. “If an officer becomes management or part of leadership, they are better stewards of taxpayer money and they have better-run agencies.”

The 100 Club offers a limited number of full scholarship in criminal justice annually -- both undergraduate and graduate -- to law enforcement officers serving in state, county or municipal department in Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Liberty, Madison, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller and Washington counties. The candidates apply and are accepted after meeting the eligibility requirements at each college.

“I think it has had a positive impact,” said Hartley. “Many of these graduates have gone up into full management position and have had a pretty strong impact on their agencies.”
In addition, like many other professionals, management position in law enforcement require advanced degrees. “It provides a ticket to move up,” Hartley said.

SHSU student scholarship recipients from 2014.
SHSU student scholarship recipients from 2014.
The 100 Club also offers endowed scholarships to more than a dozen outstanding criminal justice students at the college annually who are planning to join the field. Those scholarships were created to honor past chairmen of the organization.

Montalvo said the weekend master’s program at SHSU helped her in so many ways.

“It was a good program that exposed me to other law enforcement individuals from across the state,” she said. “It has very comprehensive classes that help me understand policies not only at the local level, but nationally. Also, the statistics classes helped me write proposals, and it upped my game and prepared me for the things I would do down the road.”

Montalvo also built valuable friendships.
“We had a lot of chiefs from other police departments,” said Montalvo. “There was a lot of discussion of issues, but I also learned a lot from just listening.”

Executive Assistant Chief George Buenik

Executive Assistant Chief George Buenik
Originally from Chicago, Buenik chose Houston because it was a growing department with lots of opportunities for advancement. As a father of two young girls in 1990, the 100 Club helped him to get back into graduate school just as he began studying for his Captain’s promotional exam.

“I think studying and going back to school helped me get good study skills and helped with the Captain’s exam,” said Buenik. “It helped me to understand the concepts and was an advantage for promotions in my career. I learned leadership and management skills as well as statistics and budget, which help me as a manager.”

In September, Buenik was promoted to Executive Assistant Chief in charge of Strategic Operations, including Airports, Special Operations, Air Support, Criminal Intelligence, the Tactical Units for SWAT, Bombs and Hostage Negotiations, Professional Development, Recruiting and Employee and Staff Services.

Assistant Chief M.D. Slinkard.
Assistant Chief M.D. Slinkard
Under his command is Assistant Chief M.D. Slinkard, who handles the Homeland Security component. Slinkard received his bachelor’s degree at Sam Houston State University and knew the importance of education in the law enforcement field. Through the 100 Club, he too enrolled in the master’s weekend program.

“It was a great opportunity,” said Slinkard. “I was able to make the commute on weekends and the school and the 100 Club made it possible to accomplish it.”

“While the bachelor’s program gave me the basics to operate as a police officer on the streets, it didn’t allow us to step back and look at the history of policing or to think about the future of planning on how to better manage police resources,” Slinkard said. “It provided the proper amount of policy and theory and challenged you to think a little differently.”


Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Police Research Center Manages Data for Police

$
0
0

An officer in a patrol car during night duty using onboard computer.

by Romney Thomas

Today’s world is one of near constant communication, and for agencies that align with the criminal justice field, speedy and accurate communication is key.

The Criminal Research Information Management and Evaluation System is a state-of-the-art comprehensive computerized police information management system developed by SHSU’s Police Research Center.

The CRIMES program consolidates data from 53 agencies across Texas to make all submitted reports available to subscribers. The database also provides crucial information for research and analysis.

Dr. Larry Hoover
Dr. Larry Hoover
“The basic rationale for this program consists of two parts,” said PRC director Larry Hoover. “First, it’s consistent with our technical assistance mandate from the state legislature, as part of our appropriation of the legislature every year. Moreover, it provides a research database for graduate students in particular.”

Hoover compares the PRC to the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

“The reason the University of Texas runs a hospital is because when a patient signs in for treatment, they give the hospital the right to use their information for research and development purposes in order to control and find a cure for cancer.

Illustration of statistical analysis, using bar graphs and mathematical operations.“Similarly, if we’re running the police information system with permissions, we have data readily available for analysis purposes. Students can use this data to write dissertations and complete independent studies, which is not only beneficial to them, but also the field at large.”

One such project took a deeper look into racial profiling, an issue prevalent in law enforcement.

“Agencies are very sensitive to the accusation that they have participated in racial profiling,” said Hoover. “But there is a disparity in the number of stops of whites and minorities.

“A student using CRIMES data did an analysis of this issue, using Census Bureau characteristics to gauge the economic health of the neighborhoods into which police are called. By sorting neighborhoods according to degrees of economic distress and using CRIMES data to calculate how often officers were called to certain communities, it was discovered that on average, citizens in distressed neighborhoods call for police assistance four times as often as resident in economically healthy neighborhoods.

“It’s important to look at this information and for the public to know that police are not simply targeting certain neighborhoods. This type of information would be enormously difficult to uncover without the assistance of CRIMES data.”

Words associated with racial profileA major challenge the PRC faces is keeping the database compatible with ever-changing technology.

“We’re in a major rewrite effort right now to put the program language all in web-based or browser-based code,” said Hoover. “The information in the database won’t be accessible to just anyone with an Internet connection, but we need to use the same coding conversation as what is on the Internet. This will allow us to enable agencies to employ the next generation of information technology.”

This “next” generation includes iPads, tablets, and other increasingly mobile devices.

“You have to have the right computer language for an iPad to operate off a central computer,” said Hoover. “Obviously it has to be networked, but it also needs to be in a particular format or language.”

image of a finger on an computer tablet.“Agencies are interested in deploying iPads. If an officer is called to a scene and is interviewing a victim or witness, it’s much more convenient to take statements on an iPad than it is on a cumbersome laptop. An iPad can even be carried by motorcycle officers on traffic patrol where a laptop cannot.”

PRC also sees an opportunity for expansion into probation agencies.

“Probation agencies have approached us because in their jurisdictions, they have police agencies that use the CRIMES program and they can see how useful it is,” said Hoover. “They want a probation information system that they can keep up to date advancing technology. With all the possibilities available, it’s easy to foresee expansion into the corrections field.”

Through the CRIMES program, the PRC is constantly changing the way police agencies communicate with each other.

“For 50 years police agencies have participated in the National Crime Information Center,” said Hoover. “The NCIC manages felony warrants and car thefts, so anyone in any jurisdiction from across the country can access that information.

A map of Houston with a red pin“What agencies have not shared, up until recently, are crime reports. If there is a series of burglaries in one jurisdiction, surrounding areas might not know about it. After 9/11 the FBI launched the National Law Enforcement Data Index. We have been a strong supporter of that system. By working closely with the Department of Public Safety, we can enable regional data sharing. All agencies that participate in CRIMES are provided with a consolidated database. They can search their immediate area, their region, or the whole state for any reason necessary.”

Although the exact impact the CRIMES program has had on law enforcement cannot necessarily be quantified, Hoover is pleased with the progress that has been made.

“The general perception in the field is that we’ve enhanced the ability for early intervention in crime sprees, enormously in comparison to what used to be possible. This is the direction in which we will continue to work.”










Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Beto Chair Attracts Top CJ Scholars to SHSU

$
0
0

Beto Chair Lecture Series

Since its inception in 1981, the Beto Chair has drawn about 100 top scholars in the field to Sam Houston State University (SHSU) to discuss the current and pressing issues in criminal justice.

Graduate students interact with Beto Lecture speakers, such as Dr. Marvin KrohnGraduate students interact with Beto Lecture speakers, such as Dr. Marvin Krohn. “The Beto Chair, funded through a gift by the Houston Endowment, is designed to enrich the educational experiences of doctoral students and faculty from the College of Criminal Justice by bringing in leading figures from the discipline. The Beto Chair originally began with scholars who spent an entire semester at SHSU and later evolved into several lectures and speakers annually.

"Our Ph.D. students get exposure to well recognized scholars in the field,” said Dr. Larry Hoover, a longtime professor at the College of Criminal Justice. “For researchers invited to be visiting scholars it was an opportunity to spend an extended period of time in Texas at a recognized criminal justice program. The visiting scholars developed a deep-felt respect for our program and faculty. It enhanced our reputation and the work done here.”

Beto Lectures focus on graduate students, but also served undergraduates and faculty.Dr. Bruce Budowle was one of the Beto Lecture speakers for 2014.In the near future, the Beto Chair is expected to revert to its original format of inviting scholars to spend an entire semester at the College of Criminal Justice, offering several lectures and allowing collaboration on emerging research issues.

For many scholars and researchers, the visiting scholar role was a prestigious appointment, often included as a top accomplishment on their résumés. For students, it provided an opportunity to learn from some of the best academics in the world, even beyond the world-renown faculty available at the College of Criminal Justice.

Dr. Dorothy Bracey
Dr. Dorothy Bracey
Dr. Dorothy Bracey, former Chair of the Anthropology Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, was one of the early pioneers in the program and the first woman appointed to the position. She spent a semester at SHSU in 1986 lecturing on social/cultural issues and crime and still carries fond memories of her interactions with students, faculty and the Texas way of life.

“I had just come out of a long personnel meeting at John Jay – I was the chair of the Department at the time – and one of the first things that I saw was the invitation,” Bracey recalls. “Did that make my day, my week and my year! It was a great honor to be invited.”

During the semester, Dr. Bracey taught two classes – a graduate level course in International Criminal Justice and a Ph.D. course in Anthropology and the Law. She became close to several of the students and still communicates with them. She enjoyed interacting with faculty members like Drs. Rolando del Carmen and Larry Hoover. But her favorite was Dr. George Beto, whom she frequently met during morning coffee at the CJava Café.

“It was a very active and alive place, and people just accumulated there,” said Bracey. “Dr. Beto would frequently come for breakfast with big notables or alone. It was a wonderful way to start the day.”
Bracey recalls that Dr. Beto was shy with women and asked a colleague to check in on her about how she was enjoying the Beto Chair. When Dr. Bracey reported that she felt she was being sheltered from the real Texas, Dr. Beto invited her to a cattle fair, where she instantly learned all she wanted to know about cuts of beef. She even wore boots and a Stetson for the event.

“It meant a lot to me,” said Dr. Bracey. “The Beto Chair at the College was one of the most prominent in the field. …What Sam Houston State started was innovative.”


Dr. Joh DiIulio
Dr. John DiIulio, the Frederic Fox Leadership Professor of Politics, Religion, and Civil Society at the University of Pennsylvania, called the lecture series one of the most significant things he did in his career. After the lecture, DiIulio went on to become the first Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives under President George W. Bush.

Dr. DiIulio was a huge fan of Dr. Beto and frequent visitor to SHSU during the writing of his first book, which compared three different state prison systems, including Texas.

“I have done hundreds of conferences and done various lectures at Harvard, Yale, Princeton and the University of California at Berkeley,” said Dr. DiIulio. “But giving a lecture in his (Dr. Beto’s) honor was easily one of the most significant things I have done in my career.”

Dr. DiIulio, who presented a lecture on “Violent Crime, Representative Democracy and Religion” in 1996, said Dr. Beto was a “giant” in the field and had a feel for the role of religion in public affairs. His name commanded respect in the political field and helped establish the importance of the College and the lecture series in criminal justice.

“The Beto Lecture has a special place in the field,” said Dr. DiIulio. “It is at the intersection of scholar and practitioner. It is where the scholar meets real world problems.”

Dr. DiIulio said the series established a community at SHSU, not only among the faculty, staff and students, but with visitors who came from outside institutions. It created the opportunity to explore and debate issues among those immersed in the field. During his stay, Dr. Dilulio recalled many invigorating discussions, especially on the emerging issue of privatization of prison, among faculty and students from the College and officials from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

“It brought everyone together and made the lecturer feel like part of the community,” DiIulio said. “It became a ‘mutual gift’ relationship. I fed on that and it sustained my own interest in the field.”

Dr. David BayleyDr. David BayleyDr. David Bayley, Professor Emeritus at the University of Albany (SUNY) School of Criminal Justice, is a specialist in international criminal justice, particularly in policing. After collaborating with Dr. Hoover on a book on police research methodology, he was invited to serve as the Beto Chair in 1998. He was invited back in 2006 to discuss America’s Role in International Criminal Justice.

“I had a great time, and I considered it a great honor,” said Dr. Bayley.

Dr. Bayley said the College of Criminal Justice created something of which it can be proud.

”They must have understood that it would be a feather in Sam Houston’s cap to be able to do this – to bring in big people in the field would help them to stand taller,” said Bayley.

Most of the Beto Chair lectures are still available at www.betochair.com. They cover a broad array of topics in the criminal justice field, including law enforcement, corrections, victim studies, forensics, security studies as well as researching skills. The lecture continues to be offered twice a year, with fall lectures from Dr. James Forest from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and Dr. Michael Maxfield of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, who will be featured at the 50th Anniversary Presentations and Panels (http://www.cjcenter.org/50th/present.htm)

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Dean Vincent Webb Creates Three Departments at College

$
0
0
Dr. Vincent Webb
Dean Vincent Webb, 2006-2014

Dr. Vincent Webb, Dean of the College and Center from 2006-2014, set the College of Criminal Justice on a new path by creating three departments to illustrate the diverse career and academic paths in Criminal Justice.

During his tenure, Dr. Webb ushered in many new changes and initiatives at one of the oldest and larger criminal justice programs in the country. To demonstrate the extensive specialties available in the criminal justice field, he created three distinct departments to guide students in their chosen fields, including Criminal Justice and Criminology, Forensic Science and Security Studies. He also recruited new faculty in diverse areas of research, including emerging disciplines in biosocial, victimology, homeland security, and forensic science.

Dr. Webb at Honors Convocation.
Dr. Webb at Honors Convocation.
Dr. Webb led the College, one of the largest academic programs in criminal justice in the country with more than 40 faculty members, as well as the George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center, a highly integrated facility which incorporates a number of research and professional training institutes, including the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Training Institute of Texas, the Correctional Management Institute of Texas and the Crime Victims’ Institute, to name a few.

Dr. Webb also was successful at establishing new institutes in the field, including the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility, one of only six “body farms” in the world for forensic anthropology research and an independent crime lab to assist jurisdictions in the area with toxicology and illegal substance testing. He also oversaw High Incident Drug Area (HIDTA) program for the Office of National Drug Control Polices as well as Project Safe Neighborhoods funding for police Department. Finally, he administered Impaired Driving Initiatives, a Department of Transportation funded program to get drunk and drugged drivers off the road by training law enforcement, school officials, employers and probation and parole officers to recognize the signs of impairment.

Dr. Joan Bytheway, Dean Vincent Webb, and SHSU President Dana G. Hoyt at the STAFS facility.
Dr. Joan Bytheway, Dean Vincent Webb, and SHSU President Dana G. Hoyt at the STAFS facility.
Here are some other programs established under Dr. Webb:

  • Initiated the Ph.D. in Forensic Science and Masters’ degrees in Security Studies, Forensic Science and Victim Services Management.
  • Started online degree programs at the College, including bachelor degrees in Criminal Justice and Masters in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management
  • Introduced the Criminal Justice Career Fair
  • Dr. Webb helped create the CJ Career Fair Dr Webb helped create the CJ Career Fair.

  • Established dual degree program with Zhejiang Police College in China
  • Won Outstanding Book Award from Academy of Criminal Justice Science for co-authoring Policing Gangs in America
  • Implemented programs to train and educate law enforcement and corrections officials from other countries.
  • Began the Major Cities Research Initiative, which targets research and development programs to control crime in the state’s six largest cities.

Dr. Webb congratulates students from ZPC Dr. Webb congratulates students from ZPC.“It has been a real privilege to serve as Dean and Director since coming to Sam in 2006,” said Dr. Webb. “This faculty and staff have been great to work with -- they simply are the best! The criminal justice/center faculty, staff, and alumni can take pride in all that they have accomplished and they can look forward to a very bright future.”






Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Dean Timothy J. Flanagan Oversees Growth of College

$
0
0
Dean Timothy J. Flanagan, 1991-98
Dean Timothy J. Flanagan, 1991-98.
As Dean of the College of Criminal Justice and Director of the Criminal Justice Center from 1991-98, Dr. Timothy J. Flanagan helped the program grow with the addition of the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT), a doctoral program in clinical psychology, and a new satellite site at the University Center in The Woodlands.

“The establishment of the Correctional Management Institute of Texas represented a major extension of the College's long history of outreach to practitioners in operating agencies, and the provision of quality training and professional development programs,” said Dr. Flanagan, who is a Senior Fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. “The collaboration with colleagues in other disciplines in the development of the doctoral program in Forensic Psychology strengthened the College of Criminal Justice and ended SHSU's status as a single doctorate-granting institution.”

Correctional Management Institute of Texas logoDuring his tenure, Dr. Flanagan oversaw an increase in enrollment in the College by 20 percent. As a result, the College began offering a satellite program at the University Center in The Woodlands, a collaborative effort among six higher education institutions in the state. Due to the success of that program, Sam Houston State University opened Sam Houston State University -- The Woodlands Center in 2012 to offer a full array of academic courses for undergraduate and graduate students.

To support the new students, Dr. Flanagan garnered six new undergraduate scholarships, many to honor alumni for years of service in the criminal justice field or those killed in the line of duty, as well as three new graduate scholarship through fundraising in the Houston/Harris County business community.

Dr. Flanagan established several new scholarships at the College
Dr. Flanagan established several new scholarships at the College"
“The College's scholarship programs are essential to delivering its programs,” said Dr. Flanagan. “Financial support for students makes high-quality academic programs accessible.”

Dr. Flanagan also established the undergraduate and graduate advisement offices to give specific guidance to students seeking criminal justice degrees. He also helped launched the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. degree, which offers forensic psychology as one of its specialty areas.

At the Center, Dr. Flanagan ushered in the Correctional Management Institute of Texas, which was designed to determine how policies are developed and correctional officers are trained in the state. The College had already served as the site for the Texas Probation Training Academy, but now expanded its mission to include cultural diversity training in the workforce, treatment and supervision of sex offenders, how to handle gangs in institutional settings and management of offenders in community facilities and other correctional settings, according to Fulfilling a Mandate: A History of the Criminal Justice Center at Sam Houston State University by Dr. Mitchel Roth.

A New Chiefs class graduates from LEMIT.
A New Chiefs class graduates from LEMIT.
In addition to introducing CMIT, the Texas Legislature turned over administration of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas to Sam Houston State University, and the LEMIT center was constructed on campus. The center offered one of the most comprehensive law enforcement management development programs, which rivaled the FBI’s National Academy. The program soon introduced its Leadership Command College, a nine week cooperative program among SHSU, Texas A&M and Texas Woman’s University to develop police leadership for the future.

Through his endeavors, Dr. Flanagan was able to significantly increase the research and sponsored funding to the College during his time as Dean. In 1995, the College commissioned the National Opinion Survey on Crime and Justice, a major study which culminated in a book, Americans View Crime and Justice, which he edited along with Dr.
Dennis Longmire.

Crime and Justice report cover.Among these were research projects at LEMIT, a film to prevent suicides in jails, National Institute of Justice grants to study citizen complaints against law enforcement and changes in homicide rates in Houston, and an Environmental Protection Agency grant to reduce the extent of environmental crime in the state.

“The academic field of criminal justice has grown and broadened dramatically in the past five decades, and SHSU's Criminal Justice Center remains one of the best known crime-related academic centers in the nation,” said Dr. Flanagan. “If the College remains focused on its mission of education and service to the people of the state of Texas, it will prosper as a public university contributing value in many forms in return for the public support it receives.”

Celebrating 50 Years of Serving: Dean Richard H. Ward Leading Academia in the Field

$
0
0
Dr. Richard H. Ward, 1999-2006
Dr. Richard H. Ward, 1999,2006

As a former New York City police detective, Dr. Richard H. Ward helped strengthen the ties between academics and practitioners during his tenure as Dean of the College of Criminal Justice from 1999 to 2006.

“It is a great place, and our alumni are going places,” said Dr. Richard H. Ward, now the Doctoral Program Director and Vice President for Special Programs Sponsored Research at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. “The program has grown. I run into alumni as I travel all over the world; there are lots of Sam Houston State University graduates.”

Dean Ward supported the LEMIT and CMIT programs.
Dean Ward supported the LEMIT and CMIT programs.
During his term as head of the College of Criminal Justice and the Criminal Justice Center, the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) and the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT), with missions to train professionals in leadership and management in the field, flourished. Research partnerships were established with the Houston Police Department and international exchange programs enabled the College to train foreign police and SHSU students to visit police agencies abroad.

“The faculty became more diverse and the international faculty changed our perspectives,” said Dr. Ward. “We generated more publications and sent more people abroad.”

Dr. Ward with the College's faculty.
Dr. Ward with the College's faculty.
He also ushered in the criminal justice program at the University Center at the Lone Star College System, a conglomeration of six state universities located in The Woodlands.

Dr. Ward came to SHSU from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he served as Vice Chancellor for Administration and Associate Chancellor. He is the author of books and articles on international crime, terrorism, criminal investigations and other topics. He had worked as a consultant and trainer in more than 40 countries. He also had been the Dean of Students, Dean of Graduate Studies and Vice President of John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

“It was a big change coming from Chicago to Huntsville,” said Dr. Ward. “I had to learn how to drawl…I was sad to leave Texas. I loved Texas. It had a different kind of spirit than anywhere else in the world.”

Dr. Ward enjoyed the Texas lifestyle.
Dr. Ward enjoyed the Texas lifestyle.
In 2000, the LEMIT building opened, continuing to offer premiere professional development opportunities in policing. It serves diverse law enforcement agencies in the state, including police, sheriffs, constables, school and campus police, Alcohol and Beverage Control agents, district attorney and attorney general officers and emergency management coordinator. In 2001, the Texas Legislature created a permanent funding source for CMIT to provide executive development and leadership in adult and juvenile corrections and technical assistance.

Other programs that took off at this time were the Master of Science in Forensic Science and the Crime Victims Institute, which provides research on victim issues in the state. Grants were also received for Project Safe Neighborhood, an initiative aimed at curbing firearms-related crime.

Dr. Ward built international partnerships.
Dr. Ward built international partnerships.
Dr. Ward also built relationships with law enforcement agencies in other countries, including China, Korea, Poland, Turkey, Pakistan, and Taiwan, many of which sent delegations of students to enroll in the criminal justice program. The College also provided Study Abroad opportunities to allow criminal justice student to experience systems in other countries.

“Most programs did not have those kinds of contacts,” said Dr. Ward. “It was giving our student an international focus, which is a blessing today because of globalization.”

Dr. Ward trained security specialists.
Dr. Ward trained security specialists.
As co-author of Extremist Groups, a public information source used by government and security specialists, the College also was involved in fighting terrorism through the Institute for the Study of Violent Groups. He also helped launch the Incident Command Simulation Training Program that train crisis management teams in the event of natural or manmade disaster.

“This was a long way from where I came from in 1962 when I joined the police department in New York,” said Dr. Ward. “There have been a lot of great changes…. It shows the contributions the University makes – the alumni get out and make the world a better place.”

Viewing all 726 articles
Browse latest View live