Erie Community College, State University of New York

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/POLICE

Program Competencies

Upon graduation with an associate in applied science degree in Criminal Justice/Police, the graduate will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the criminal justice vocabulary.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the philosophical and historical background in the three parts of criminal justice: law enforcement, courts, and corrections.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the theories on causes of crime: economic, sociological, psychological.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of the NYS penal laws and the criminal procedure laws.
• Demonstrate an understanding of and work in industrial and retail security.
• Recognize people with mental disorders: psychotics, psychopaths, personality disorders; people intoxicated by drugs: LSD, heroin, PCP, etc; sexual aberrations; suicide potentials; and be aware of methods of handling such individuals.
• Demonstrate an understanding of police ethics and how to resolve practical problems of an ethical nature.
• Demonstrate an understanding of basic qualities of a criminal investigation: fingerprinting, photographing a crime scene, plaster casting, surveillance techniques, handling and recording of physical evidence, interviewing techniques, criminal report writing, etc.
• Demonstrate an understanding of our correctional system, the use of penitentiaries and prisons in American society, probation and parole concepts and usages; the nature of punishment; and present trends in corrections.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the internal workings of police departments: organizational and leadership problems, planning and research, inspection procedures, personnel problems, and contemporary problems of police departments.