According to the United States Census Bureau, in the year 2000; 281, 421, 906 people were counted in the United States .  Also, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2004 there were 836,787 sworn police officers in the United States . 

Now I know the 300,000,000th  baby has been born in the last seven years, and the number of police officers fluctuates but according to those official statistics there is one police officer for every 352 people in the United States .  Now the question, is that enough police officers working in our communities?  I guess it depends on what your outcome is- is it reducing crime or is it instilling a sense of security?

We all know that the perception of crime and the reality of crime are very different.  Matthew, from The Atlantic, posts that more patrol officers would decrease the jail population.  However, many disagree.  It is hypothesized that more police officers make more arrests which has made us a country with one of the highest incarceration rates.  Approximately 2.2 million people per year are incarcerated, over two and a half times the number of police officers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates employment of police and detectives to grow “as fast as the average” job.

However, back to my original point, it depends on what the police officers are doing in the community- if we put more of them- will this increase arrests and fill our prisons?  Or should we be educating police officers to have more of a proactive, community orientated approach to law enforcement?  Doing more of a preventive effort rather than a reactive effort?  Changing the function of police officers in the community requires the proper education of police officers.  In the state of Minnesota peace officers are regulated by the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training Board. 

The state of Minnesota has one of the highest requirements for police officers.  The minimum requirement to become a peace officer in the state of Minnesota is a two year degree from a POST board approved college or university and passing a licensing exam.  In April of this year, the Rasmussen College Criminal Justice program was approved by the Minnesota POST board to offer peace officer education.

Michael Bruger in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin stated that “it is time for a new dialogue between the law enforcement and academic communities to better integrate education with the training and service needs of agencies”. Rasmussen College has done just that by incorporating fieldwork and job shadowing requirements in many of its core criminal justice classes. A college education can make a more effective police officer on the streets as was just agreed upon by the city council of Savannah, GA , which agreed to an increase in salary for educated and experienced police officers.

And again, what is our outcome? It can be two fold; we can instill a sense of security by lowering the crime rate with an educated breed of police officers.

What do you think?

Law and Order, CSI, The Shield - is this the “reality” of criminal justice? 

What about America’s Most Wanted and COPS? 

Robin Anderson states, “Such shows, with their manufactured atmospheres of immediacy and close attention to the grittier details of street life, also cross a thin line between entertainment and information. This has had serious ramifications for public policy, especially on matters relating to drugs and crime” (1994).  The thin line between reality and fiction of criminal justice affects those working in the criminal justice field. Both offenders, victims and professionals in criminal justice must adjust their expectations of the criminal justice process.

Therefore as students enter the study of criminal justice, what is one to expect?  Expectation is the lifeline and passion for those interested in criminal justice. The Rasmussen College Criminal Justice AAS Degree has built a foundation of “reality” throughout the program so students know what to expect in the field of criminal justice. 

In core courses like Criminal Law and Procedure, students observe a court process.  Whether it is an arraignment, jury selection or defense arguments, students see first hand what the court law and process is like within their jurisdiction. 

Introduction to Corrections allows students to tour a prison, visit a workhouse, or interview a probation officer, getting exposure to the real life expectations of the corrections system.  Students will not be chasing OJ down the California highway on their ride-along in Policing in America; however they will patrol and enforce the laws of that jurisdiction with police for a full tour of duty. 

During a student’s final quarter, enrolled in the course, Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice, students can choose from a variety of fieldwork options in which to participate.  Whether it is advocating for victims rights in court, or serving as a juvenile justice case manager, students can enter the field in which they see themselves working for the criminal justice system. 

Rasmussen College allows students the opportunity to work first hand in the field while learning and facilitating their knowledge of criminal justice.  What you read in books and see on television is not always “reality”, experience reality first hand in the Rasmussen College Criminal Justice Program.

What do you think? 

Welcome to the Rasmussen College Criminal Justice blog!  The goal of this blog is to engage in meaningful “conservations” about the Criminal Justice programs at Rasmussen College and have an on-going dialogue about issues in criminal justice as related to law, justice and careers. 

The criminal justice community is actually smaller than one would think.  Whether you are studying to become a police officer, a correctional treatment specialists or a criminal court advocate there are associations and websites that promote a community of criminal justice agents.  Some of the websites I frequent to keep in touch with the criminal justice community are Officer.com, PoliceOne.com, American Correctional Association, In addition, each state has information and associations in all areas of criminal justice. A few examples are: Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards & Training, Minnesota Corrections, Florida Police Chiefs Association, and the Juvenile Justice Association of Texas. 

The Rasmussen College Criminal Justice blog is an open forum of communication between any and all participants.  However, criminal justice tends to be a hot topic for many people therefore I would like to set a few initial rules, with the understanding that more rules may have to be “enacted” as we develop our own criminal justice community.  Some general ground rules I would propose that we utilize going forward from this point: 

• Be respectful of others, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
• If you are going to make statements, like “crime is rising” you need to back it up with facts.  For instance, according to the FBI’s preliminary report on crime in 2006, law enforcement agencies reported a 1.3% increase in reported violent crime from 2005.  
• Don’t write about things that you shouldn’t be posting in an open forum.  Remember anyone and everyone can read this: future employers, your grandma!

I look forward to the interesting discussions with our own criminal justice community at Rasmussen College.

Be safe……