Criminal justice

This archived article was written by: Alex Holt

Four seems to the criminal justice department’s lucky number as this year marks the fourth year of USUE’s Police Academy and the introduction of a new four year degree.
Utah State University Eastern has been a long-standing supporter of the criminal justice field with the variety of criminal justice classes and activities, as well as the USUE Police Academy.
The academy graduates10 cadets a year on average, with this year to graduate at least that many. The academy draws potential officers from many areas throughout southeastern Utah, mainly from Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan Counties.
The fall 2017 class will go through tough instruction in the coming weeks designed to push their understanding of criminal justice.
This may result in cadets that are unable to successfully get through the first block of instruction – the special functions officer block. It is the basis for all further blocks. It covers topics ranging from the U.S. Constitution to ethical practices, followed up by a series of classes on Utah law.
The legal section of the SFO block is intense as it covers many of the laws police officers enforce from alcohol beverage crimes, liability laws, property crimes, etc.
After completing the SFO block, the cadets will then take the Basic Corrections Officer and the Law Enforcement officer block of training.
n addition to receiving vital information on how to become an officer, cadets also receive college credit and some receive on-the-job training while they attend the academy.
The officers are expected to graduate in the second week of April.
In addition to academy, USUE is also offering a new four-year degree relating to the study of criminology. While itself is not a criminology degree, it does go into many aspects of the field including deviant behavior, race and crime, mental health, gender-based violence and criminal law and justice.
The degree is officially a sociology degree with an emphasis in criminal justice. It offers various internships in the field. The new degree is also the only one of its kind in the entire state and is offered at all USU affiliated campuses.