Police Systems and Practices Syllabus for 2013-2014
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Course Information

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Course

CRIJ-2328-003 Police Systems and Practices

Prerequisites

Course Description

The police profession; organization of law enforcement systems; the police role; police discretion; ethics; police-community interaction; current and future issues.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\ The Police in America, An Introduction, 7th edition. (2011) by Walker, Samuel and Katz, Charles. ISBN 0-07-811149-8

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Supplies

\ All students enrolling in this class must have the assigned textbook. 

Student Performance

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1. \ Discuss the history of policing and the development of recent policing, from the first half of the twentieth century through the present time.
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2. \ Introduce the numerous federal law enforcement agencies that enforce federal laws and regulations and assist local and state police departments.
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3. \ Describe the size, scope, and functions of law enforcement agencies in the public sector.
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4. \ Be familiar with the many changes  made in U.S. public law enforcement following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States.
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5. \ Illustrate the complexities of modern police organizations and how departmetns are organized on the basis of personnel, area, time, and function.
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6. \ Be familiar with the police selection process and the standards that must be met to be accepted for employment as a police officer.
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7. \ Understand the basis for police academy training, field training, community policing training, and probationary periods required in many police departments.
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8. \ Explore the police role and its many interpretations, the goals and objectives of policing, the various operational styles of policing and the concept of police discretion, seeking to undertstand how and why discretion is exercised and the methods that have been used to control it.
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9. \ Be familiar with the research indicating the existence of a distinct police culture or subculture and the studies on police personality, including attempts made to define the police personality.
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10. \ Discuss police officer stress and understand why it occurs, how it is exhibited, and what means can be utilized to deal with it.
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11. \ Describe the history and problems of minorities in policing.
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12. \ Illustrate how discrimination affects minorities in obtaining employment and promotions in policing.
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13. \ Discuss the provisions within the U.S. legal system that enabled minorities to overcome job discrimination.
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14. \ Be acquainted with the various definitions, types, and extent of police corruption.
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15. \ Explore various forms of police misconduct other than police corruption, including drug-related corruption, police deception, sex-related corruption, and domestic violence.
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16. \ Discuss the issue of liability and the effects of lawsuits on police officers and police agencies.
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17. \ Understand the traditional methods of doing police work to include police traffic operations and special operations and examine their effectiveness.
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18. \ Discuss some of the innovative and tactical ways of performing the patrol function.
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19. \ Discuss police automobile pursuits.
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20. \ Illustrate the meaning of police-community relations and their importance to the safety and quality of life in a community.
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21. \ Explore public attitudes regarding the police and efforts undertaken around the nation to improve public perceptions.
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22. \ Describe some innovative community crime prevention programs that focus on crime reduction and improving the quality of life in communities.
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23. \ Discuss the effect of community policing and problem-solving policing on current policing and the implementation of community policing strategies, including the most recent methods, the role of the federal government, and some recent community policing successes.
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24. \ Understand the role of the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Supreme Court in regulating the actions of the police.
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25. \ Become aware, through the exploration of case law, of the changing philosophy of the U.S. Supreme Court in areas regarding arrests, search and seizure, custodial interrogation, and identification procedures.
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\ This course will be guided by meeting the above referenced Student Performance objectives. At the end of the semester, students are expected to have a basic understanding of the field of American policing and the essential elements therein.
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Students Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

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1. \ The workload for this course will require due diligence and integrity on students' part.
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2. \ Log into the class on a daily basis to check for class announcements & emails and ensure understanding of all applicable due dates.
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3. \ Complete all assigned reading. This is imperative for successful completion of the course.
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4. \ At times, the discussion board topics will address sensitive subjects and students must remember to conduct themselves in a respectful and courteous manner. All students are entitled to their opinions.and certainly aren’t required to agree with another student’s opinion. However, disagreements can be cited in an appropriate manner.
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5. \ Snipes, inappropriate language or racial slurs will in no way, shape or form be tolerated during discussions or within email content.
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6. \ Only those individuals who are registered in the course are allowed to make posts on the discussion boards or send email within the course.
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7. \ Cheating will not be tolerated. Cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with on a case by case basis and will generally result in a grade of zero or removal from the course.
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Grading Criteria

Chapter Tests and Final Exam will be averaged together with the grade from the final exam counted twice.
\  There will be no makeup exams.

Attendance

\ REGULAR ATTENDANCE IS NECESSARY FOR SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT. THEREFORE, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO ATTEND CLASS.

\ It is the student’s responsibility to drop a course or withdraw from the college. Failure to drop the course within a timely manner will result in the student receiving a performance grade, usually an “F”.

\ Consistent and adequate involvement in an online class is necessary for satisfactory achievement. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to check course postings and emails on a daily basis, follow the prescribed timeline for assignments and exams, etc. If a student is having difficulty with any portion of this course, they should contact the instructor via email, phone, or in person, immediately.
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Calendar

Additional Information

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