CRIMJ 210: Policing in America

 

Sample Syllabus

Sample Lesson

The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.

CRIMJ 210 Policing in America (3): The police play an extremely complex role in today's society, and this role involves many different tasks. Studies conducted on this complex role have shown that, on average, 80 percent of all calls for service received by the police involve order maintenance issues and are not crime related. Policing is ambiguous by nature in that officers may be called upon to manage a homicide, robbery, theft, person with mental illness, loud music, domestic disturbance, assist a motorist, or provide directions. The purpose of this course is to provide a broad understanding of the policing occupation, and how it comes in direct contact with the everyday life of the general public. This course will aid students in understanding and assessing the problems confronted daily that are a regular part of the work-a-day world of the police officer. This understanding is more important than ever before because of the increased involvement of the citizenry in community policing. Nearly 200 years ago, Sir Robert Peel noted that in order for the police to be effective each side must understand that "the police are the public and that the public are the police." The course will provide a framework upon which criminal justice students will learn the structure and function of policing in American. In particular, students will learn 1) the history of policing; 2) police organizational structure; 3) laws governing police action; 4) problems of corruption and deviance in policing; and 5) the importance of community involvement and oversight of policing in their community.

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Overview

This course is designed to introduce students to the basics of policing in America. Students will gain an understanding of police history and organization. Students will become familiar with the personal side of policing such as police selection and training, the role of discretion in policing, police culture and personality, and the effects of stress on police officers. Police operations are another important facet with which students will come to know. This will include such topics as community policing, police and the law, police ethics, and police deviance. The final areas the student will learn are critical issues in policing such as women and minorities in policing, the influence of technology, application of deadly force, high-speed pursuits, and homeland defense.

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Course Objectives

The basic objective of this course is to provide the student with a well-rounded understanding of the police process from the inception of the idea of police to current day police problems and practices.

Upon completion of CRIMJ 210, you will be able to:

• describe the history of policing and how it has evolved;
• list the structure and function of a police department;
• identify the manner in which police officers are hired and trained;
• describe how the use of the broad discretionary powers of pokice officers is controlled;
• recognize the various deviant behaviors available to police officers because of their powers.

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Required Course Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

Additional materials:

• Below is the site that allow you to sign up for the Crime and Justice News. This is a Monday - Friday publication by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Each day they scan newspapers from across the US for stories involving Criminal Justice. It is a free service and you can enroll and/or cancel the service when you are finished with the course. The instructor will look through it for articles concerning hot topics and email the students telling them which article(s) he/she wants them to read and comment upon.

  Go to Crime and Justice News by entering your email address. It will be emailed to you every weekday automatically. IT is FREE!

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
• get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
• much more. 

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

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Technical Requirements

Technical Requirements

Operating System	Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor	2 GHz or higher
Memory	1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space	20 GB free disk space
Browser	We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers. Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins	Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe] Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software	Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection	Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer	Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM	Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers	Required
Monitor	Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

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Arranging a Proctor

You will need to secure a proctor in order to take exams in this course. A proctor will not automatically be assigned to you; rather, you must make the necessary contacts to secure a professional who will serve in this capacity.

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Course Requirments

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Grade Assignment Schedule

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Course Schedule

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.

1: Getting Started
Assignments:	Email exercise Self introduction in the Discussion Forum Dropbox Exercise Library registration Review exam information and secure your proctor.

2: Police History and Organization and Organizing Public and Private Security in the United States
Readings:	Chapters 1 & 2 of An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Discussion Forum Activities Application Exercise submitted to the Dropbox Send your Exam Request Form(s) to World Campus Student Services.

3: Organizing the Police Department and Becoming a Police officer
Readings:	Chapters 3 & 4 of An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Discussion Forum Activities Writing Assignment #1 due Saturday of Week 3

4: The Police Role and Police Discretion
Readings:	Chapter 5 of An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Discussion Activities Writing Assignment #2, Annotated Bibliographies due Saturday of Week 4

5: Test #1

6: The Police Culture, Personality and Police Stress
Readings:	Chapter 6 of An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Discussion Activities Review Exercise submitted to the Dropbox

7: Minorities in Policing
Readings:	Chapters 7 of An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Discussion Activities

8: Police Ethics and Police Deviance
Readings:	Chapters 8 of An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Discussion Activities Reflection on Police Gratuities submitted to the Dropbox Send your Exam Request Form(s) to World Campus Student Services. Writing Assignment #3 due Saturday of Week 8

9: Patrol Operations and Investigations
Readings:	Chapters 9 & 10 of An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Discussion Activities Writing Assignment #4 will be due by Week 11

10: Test #2

11: Police and the Community & Community Policing: The Debate Continues
Readings:	Chapter 11 & 12 of An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Writing Assignment #4 due by Saturday of Week 11 Discussion Activities

12: Police and the Law
Readings:	Chapters 13 of An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Discussion Activities Lesson Activity submitted to the Dropbox Send your Exam Request Form(s) to World Campus Student Services.

13: Computers, Technology, and Criminalistics in Policing
Readings:	Chapters 14 of An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Trooper Case Study submitted to the dropbox Discussion Activity

14: Homeland Defense
Readings:	Chapters 15 An introduction to policing
Assignments:	Discussion Activities

15: Test #3

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

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Grading

Please refer to the University Registrar's information about University grading policies.

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Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity (for undergraduate students in undergraduate courses) and policy GCAC-805 Academic Integrity (for graduate students and undergraduate students in graduate courses), an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity or GCAC-805 Academic Integrity as appropriate). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.

In cases where academic integrity is questioned, procedures allow a student to accept or contest/appeal the allegation. If a student chooses to contest/appeal the allegation, the case will then be managed by the respective school, college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. Review procedures may vary by college, campus, or school, but all follow the aforementioned policies.

All academic integrity violations are referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response, which may assign an educational intervention and/or apply a Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, or Expulsion.

Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page.

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Course Policies

Plagiarism

Derived from the Latin word Plagiarius, plagiarism is defined by Alexander Lindly as "The false assumption of authorship: the wrongful act of taking the product of another person's mind, and presenting it as one's own." (Plagiarism and Originality. New York: Harper, 1952, p. 2). Plagiarism may take the form of repeating another's sentences as your own, adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own, paraphrasing someone else's argument as your own, or even presenting someone else's line of thinking in the development of a thesis as though it were your own. In short, to plagiarize is to give the impression that you have written or thought something that you have in fact borrowed from another. Although a writer may use another person's words and thoughts, they must be acknowledged as such.

Plagiarism is cheating. Any student caught plagiarizing the work of another will, at the very least, receive an "F" for the course, and could lead to expulsion from the University. Your attention is again directed to the Senate Policy 49-20 "Academic Integrity" with regards to this important topic. Plagiarism is considered to be any one or more of the following:

1. Extracting any sentence from another text without quotation marks and a supporting citation.


2. Extracting a portion of any sentence from another text without enclosing it in quotation marks and a supporting citation.


3. "Cut & Paste" or “Mosaic” plagiarism occurs when a student eliminates or adds one or two words to an existing sentence, or abbreviates a compound sentence. (For example, the first of the three following sentences is the original in a text, and it appears as a properly cited quotation. Those that follow the first sentence would be considered "cut-and-paste" plagiarism. "The German sociologist Max Weber, although best known to students of public administration for his analysis of rational bureaucracy, has had a broad impact on the social sciences" (Denhardt, 1993, p. 30). "It has been said that Max Weber, although best known to students of public administration for his analysis of rational bureaucracy, has had a broad impact on the social sciences." "The German sociologist Max Weber has had a broad impact on the social sciences."


4. Also considered under this title is any paper submitted in which the cited material is not designated by quotation marks in the text of the paper. It has been my experience that authors of such papers are attempting to shield themselves under a mantle that has come to be known in political circles as "Plausible Deniability." In short, the defense "I didn't know what I was doing was wrong" will not be accepted.


5. A good rule of thumb would be, if you use four or more of the original words of an author in succession, then they must be enclosed by quotation marks and a proper citation should accompany their use. Contained in this endnote are important observations and statements from Penn State and other national and universities on the topic of plagiarism. Please review these carefully as you will be held responsible for their contents.

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University Policies

• Accommodating Disabilities
  

  Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.

  In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

  Students with disabilities participating in internship, practicum, student teaching, or other experiential learning opportunities as part of their degree requirements may also be eligible for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access and opportunity. These accommodations are determined through an interactive process involving the student, their University supervisor, and the site supervisor. Student Disability Resources can assist students with identifying potential barriers, facilitating accommodation requests, and coordinating with University supervisors to promote inclusive learning experiences.

• Additional Course Policies
  

  For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.

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