I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Peace Officers and the Community

2. Course Prefix & Number:
CRJU 1112

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

4. Course Description:

This course will study the historical and contemporary roles of policing in society, strategies for positive police-community relations and job-related issues for peace officers. The focus will be MN Peace Officers who are public servants with the fundamental duty to serve and protect the community from harm. Students will be introduced to positive principles of interaction between the peace officer and citizens of the community in which the officer serves. The course will also cover contemporary peace officer practices which include community-oriented policing and problem-oriented policing.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

No placement tests required

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

LAWE 335, Police and Community Relations, Minnesota State University, Mankato, 3 credits
CJS 1152, Police and the Community, Inver Hills Community College, 3 credits
CJS 2081, Police and the Community, Century College, 3 credits

2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course fulfills a requirement for the following program(s):

Conservation Officer Preparation AAS
Criminal Justice Certificate
Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway AS
MN Peace Officer AAS
Peace Officer/Public Safety Transfer Pathway AS

 

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills	Create and present oral presentation that covers the contributions of the people or concepts involved in community-oriented policing and/or problem-oriented policing.
Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations	Solve issues from hypothetical scenarios through the use the four stage problem-solving process of the SARA model found in problem-oriented policing.
Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments	Demonstrate how recognizing and valuing diversity, cultural differences and varied perspectives, promotes community unity, facilitates information gathering, and contributes to safer communities.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Articulate the key issues, questions and concepts related to law enforcement interactions with communities;
• Describe the core concepts and models of community policing, community relations and crime prevention;
• Explain the role of ethics, leadership and interpersonal communication in law enforcement;
• Explain the impact of cultural diversity, professional diversity, and profiling in law enforcement;
• Describe problem solving and decision making skills as it relates to law enforcement discretion when considering personal rights versus the safety of the public; and
• Explain the expectations of law enforcement conduct, as it relates to: data practices, use of force, liability and internal affairs.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. The evolution of community policing
• The beginnings of modern police forces
• The three eras of policing
• Essential elements of community policing
2. The mission and culture of police agencies
• The police culture
• The police image
• Ethical policing
3. Understanding and involving the community in the community policing process
• Community defined
• Citizen involvement with the peace officers in the community
• The criminal justice system
4. Problem-Oriented policing
• What is Problem-Oriented Policing?
• The SARA Model: A four stage problem-solving process
• Using technology for problem solving
5. Implementing community policing
• Creating vision and mission statements
• Developing strategies
• Evaluating progress
6. Communicating with diverse populations
• Ethnic diversity
• Recognizing prejudice and discrimination
• Understanding physical and mental disabilities
7. Building partnerships in the community
• The benefits of community partnerships
• Building partnerships in a variety of neighborhoods
• Key community resources
8. Forming partnerships with the media
• The First Amendment and freedom of the press
• Victims privacy rights
• Strategies for developing partnerships with the media
9. Community policing and drugs
• The "The War on Drugs" and the national drug control strategy
• Prevention: Stopping drug use before it starts
• Treatment: Healing America's drug users
10. Including youth in the community policing process
• Partnerships that connect youths and the community
• Crime and violence in our schools
• Forming partnerships that prevent juvenile delinquency
11. The challenge of gangs in a community
• Understanding gangs and gang violence
• Preventing gang membership
• Problem-solving partnerships to address gang problems
12. Understanding and preventing violence
• Causes of violence
• Preventing hate crimes
• Peace officers response to domestic violence
• Forming a multidisciplinary team to investigate child abuse

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions