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Share thisCriminal Justice Urban Trip, April 2014
The Criminal Justice Club organized and went on a trip to New York City to experience Criminal Justice in the Big Apple. This was a great opportunity to see how one of the largest police departments in the U.S. does Criminal Justice. Among many activities that were planned, the highlights included: a tour and presentation of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, NYC Police Academy, and a ride along with an NYPD officer.
The ride along was a neat experience as we were able to ride with a NYPD officer for a shift and respond with them to calls. This was a great opportunity to ask questions about the kind of work they do and how the big city differs from a county or local police department. Students who went on the ride alongs did many things. Some of the more exciting calls that the Roberts students were dispatched to included: a car fire, stabbing, missing person, and high intensity domestic disputes. Observing how first responders navigate through the busy streets of NYC is a lot harder than one would imagine. It is difficult for cars to move out of the way because of all the traffic, causing first responders to not be as timely as one would hope.
Another highlight would be the tour of the New York City Police Academy. An admin Sergeant gave us the tour where we toured the facility and actually sat in on the current Recruits’ Physical Training block. Here we observed the recruits being taught how to disarm an assailant who is holding them at gunpoint. Our group was then able to participate in the NYPD F.A.S.T. training. F.A.S.T. stands for Fire Arms Simulating Training. This is where two members of our group were able to be put in an on screen simulation of a situation that would require us to decide whether to shoot or not shoot. Then when the simulation was over, we were able to go back and the firearms trainer talked us through the situation and how we handled it. At the end of the tour, we had a Question and Answer time with a Sergeant about the department and how they operate.
Lastly, our tour of the DA’s office was quite the learning experience. We were guided through a presentation about credit card fraud and how it is a growing epidemic in New York. We were then shown through the DA’s office and we sat in a couple court hearings of traffic court, family court, and even a murder trial.
A Criminal Justice Urban Experience is a great way to see how different cities handle criminal justice matters. For more information about this past trip or next year’s trip, feel free to contact Professor Kirby Trask.
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