COMMUNITY POLICING
Justice Studies 401 Spring 2011
Professor: Class Meets:
Gary Reed Monday & Wednesday
Justice Studies Program 10:30am-11:45am
Social Science Division Classroom: Sam Glenn Complex #126
Lewis-Clark State College
Spalding Hall, Room #211
500 8th Ave. Office Hours:
Lewiston, ID 83501-2698 Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 4:20pm-5:20pm Phone: (208) 792-2794 and by appointment
E-mail: gereed@lcsc.edu Website: www.lcsc.edu/gereed
Course Description:
This class is an examination of the philosophy, tactics, problems, and solutions encountered when the community and police engage in the teamwork of community policing. The course contains a service-learning component that combines community service with structured learning and reflection, connecting the needs of the community with coursework and our roles as citizens. Pre-requisite: JS 103 or permission of instructor.
Purpose:
This class builds on themes introduced in JS 103 such as the balance between individual rights and societal rights. It examines how this may be achieved through collaborative relationships between the community and policing institutions.
Goals:
It is expected that students will become more adept at utilizing social scientific analysis to analyze community policing issues. The written work and verbal presentations of students should reflect systematic, logical arguments clearly supported by theory and research. Moreover, the course will provide opportunities for students to integrate understandings gained from the coursework with insights from collaborating with community partners to fulfill community needs. In addition, the service component is designed to help instill civic responsibility and skills useful for evaluating whether the community needs are being met.
Course Requirements:
Exam One: 25%
Exam Two: 25%
Service-Learning Project OR Exam Three: 25%
Exam Four/Final Exam: 25%
Exams: There will be four exams. The exams will consist of multiple-choice, true/false, short-answer, fill-in-the-blank, and essay questions. Exam questions will come from both the assigned readings and the material covered during class.
Service-Learning Project (Optional):
Service-learning combines community service with learning objectives, preparation, and reflection. You will not only provide a service, but you will also learn about the community, work through collaboration, make contacts in the community and discover useful connections between your coursework and community issues. We will work with local organizations that would like to work with us to help solve a problem amenable to the community policing model, for example fixing “broken windows” or developing information campaigns for particular crime or victimization problems. The service-learning assignments will consist of:
1. An action plan concerning the chosen community, its crime issue, and recommended solutions. (25%)
2. Completion of the community service. (25%)
3. A 3-4 page journal report from connecting coursework with what was learned through the community service. (25%)
4. A final report summarizing the service-learning experience, evaluating the effectiveness of the problem-solving, and recommending future actions. (25%)
Each service-learning assignment will be graded on the extent to which course materials were integrated with community service.
More details will be provided when we determine the specific nature of the project in collaboration with the local community partners.
Attendance:
Attendance will be taken most meetings. One percent will be added to the final grades of students with recorded attendance of 90% or better.
Student Conduct:
"Cheating or plagiarism in any form is unacceptable. The College functions to promote the cognitive and psychosocial development of all students. Therefore, all work submitted by a student must represent his/her own ideas, concepts and current understanding" (Provost Fernandez, 2008).
Any student with questions remaining as to what constitutes cheating or plagiarism should consult the instructor in order to avoid any misunderstanding. If a student is caught cheating, at minimum, he/she will fail the assignment, the Judicial Affairs Officer will be notified and the incident recorded. Moreover, we will be dealing with controversial issues at times and it is essential that discussions remain constructive and respectful.
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment to talk with me.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of student education records and is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education. In essence, the act states that 1) students must be permitted to inspect their own “education records” and 2) “school officials” may not disclose personally identifiable information about a student without written permission from the student. For further information on FERPA and LCSC’s directory information policy, visit www.lcsc.edu/registrar or call 208-792-2223.
Please refrain from gaming, web surfing or using your cell phone during class.
Readings: (Available at the Lewis-Clark Bookstore)
Community Policing: Partnerships for Problem Solving, 5th edition, 2008 OR 6th edition
Authors: Miller, Linda; Hess, Karen
Publisher: Thomson/Wadsworth
ISBN: 0-534-62888-5
Topics and Assignments:
(Due to the nature of academic discussions, the topics listed below will not always correspond to the days’ discussions.)
Jan 10-12: Introduction to the course and the role of service learning
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 1
Jan 17: MLK Day – No Class
Jan 19: The Evolution of Community Policing
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 1
Jan 24: Last day to drop classes without a W
Jan 24-26: Inside Police Agencies
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 2
Jan 31-Feb 2: Understanding and Involving the Community
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 3
EXAM ONE FEBRUARY 2
Feb 7-9: Problem Solving: Proactive Policing
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 4
Feb 14-16: Implementing Community Policing
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 5
Feb 21: President’s Day Vacation
Feb 23: Communicating Effectively
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 6
Feb 28-March 2: Building Partnerships
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 7
EXAM TWO MARCH 2
March 7-9: Forming Partnerships with the Media
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 8
March 14-18: Spring Break
March 21-23: Early Experiments in Crime Prevention and Community Policing
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 9
March 25: Last day to withdraw
March 28-30: Safe Neighborhoods and Communities
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 10
April 4-6: Community Policing and Drugs
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 11
April 11-13: Bringing Youths into Community Policing
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 12
April 18-20: The Challenge of Gangs
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 13
April 25-27: Understanding and Preventing Violence and Terrorism
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 14
May 2-4: A Look to the Future
Reading: Miller/Hess chapter 15
Research Presentation and Reports of Service-Learning Project Due May 4
May 9: Exam Four/Final Exam 10:30am