Annotated Bibliography - draft, 3 sources

Works Cited

McDermott, Peter J., and Diana Hulse, Ed.D. "Focus on Training: Corrective Feedback in Police Work." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (2012): n. pag. Www.fbi.gov. Federal Bureau of Investigation, June 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.

This article details the curriculum for the average Police Academy in the United States. The differences between college education and Police Academy education are highlighted. In the Police Academy, new recruits learn in areas such as, tactical skills, communication, human interactions, and proper documentation skills. New recruits have to take what they learn in the classroom and in training and be able to use it and perform well on the job. They will use their education for everyday things such as motor vehicle stops and criminal investigations. The article focuses on Corrective Feedback which is used by Field Training Officers (FTOs) as a way to teach new recruits and let them know that they are doing something wrong and how they should fix it.

This source is definitely credible because it is published by the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin which is a very well-known source. The FBI has the best stats regarding law enforcement and law enforcement training. This author of this article does a good job of analyzing how new recruits are taught in the academy, how they apply what they learn, and how it differs from a criminal justice education.

This article will be very good for looking at some of the distinct differences between a Police Academy education and a Criminal Justice education in a college setting. I chose this article because it shows exactly how new officers are taught. The focus of this article is Corrective Feedback given by training officers to the trainee. The focus on Corrective Feedback is actually good because it shows one of the teaching techniques of the Academy which can be compared to that of a Criminal Justice degree in a college.

Buerger, Michael. "Educating And Training The Future Police Officer." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 73.1 (2004): 26. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.

            This article emphasizes the importance of college education and Police training working together. If the two work together and COMMUNICATE then it would make for more rounded and cohesive education. The author hits on the point that in a “perfect” system, the college education would prepare individuals and the college education would feed into the Police Academy education. This article also addresses the issue of whether or not a college degree (Criminal Justice) is really necessary. A quote that I pulled from the article actually says that a 4-year Bachelor’s degree is becoming a necessary job requirement. The issue of how a degree directly relates, and what a Police Officer might do with or use a degree in his/her career is addressed. The author says that experiential learning in the Police Academy is the best way for a Police Officer to learn. The last point that the author made is that of the struggle that the Criminal Justice discipline has had. Even today the field of Criminal Justice is looked down upon as unnecessary and simple.

The reason that the degree in the Criminal Justice degree has seemed rather useless is because of a major lack of communication and cooperation. Students will learn a variety of things in their college education and then go and learn some of the same things in the Police Academy. At the same time some of the vital things that a new recruit should learn are left out, sometimes because it is assumed that they have learned those things in college. The author wonders whether or not a college education is really necessary. If the college education wasn’t a requirement, then we wouldn’t have to worry about a lack of communication. Police Academies could increase their curriculum and students would definitely learn everything they need and they wouldn’t have to pay for a costly degree. Why would anyone want to get a degree that they don’t really need? The issue of the validity of the Criminal Justice degree in the College environment is addressed. People sometimes see Criminal Justice as a useless field. It goes back to the beginning when colleges offered “Handcuffing 101” as a class for Criminal Justice majors. Sometimes people look at those in this field and wonder why one would spend so much money on a degree when they are going to learn a lot of the same things in the Academy.

This article is going to be a very good source because it addresses almost all of the questions that I have. I can use this article to show why people still get a Criminal Justice degree, but also, why it isn’t really that necessary. This article is also one of the very few that analyze how people in other professions view Criminal Justice. This can be very interesting thing to look at as well as the main issues.

Tenney, Charles W., Jr. Higher Education Programs in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Washington, D.C.: NILE & CJ, U.S. Department of Justice, 1971. Print.

The author says that the reason for education is to help an individual “execute his functions in the most efficient manner”. However, the author says that this education should be left up to the law enforcement agencies. This publication is heavily opinionated. The author believes that law enforcement agencies could provide enough education in their training programs to be as effective as a college education in Criminal Justice.

This publication explains the balance between college educations and the Police Academy. It explains how we need both yet it also shows how both can be rolled into one to be more efficient and cheaper for the student.

This will serve as yet another example of the balance between these two types of education. This is the second source that I have found that shows how both the college education and the Police Academy training can be one. This can be handy. I can analyze how the process of the two becoming one could work. 

Dialogic Journal: Article #2 "Education and Training the future Police Officer"

Education and Training the Future Police Officer

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

By Michael Bueger, Ph. D

Before Reading: 1. I am reading this piece because, after long research, this article seems to relate to my topic the most. This is the only article that I could find that relates to a Criminal Justice DEGREE in any way.

2. I hope to learn whether or not a Criminal Justice degree proves useful and necessary in a law enforcement career or if training in a Police Academy is sufficient.

Quote	Explanation
“It is time for a new dialogue between the law enforcement and academic communities to better integrate education with the training and service needs of agencies” (page 1)	I chose this quote because it addresses a problem with the Criminal Justice education community. By saying that there needs to be better communication, the law enforcement agencies (here, the FBI) are saying that the Criminal Justice degrees aren’t meeting the needs of the agencies.
“…an increasing number of Police agencies require the 4-year bachelor’s degree as a hiring credential.” (page 2)	This quote shows that maybe the 4 year Criminal Justice degree may be more useful/necessary than previously thought, since it is now being required by an increasing number of agencies.
“Speaking broadly, the law enforcement profession apparently had not known what to do with a college education. Although college educated persons have succeeded in Policing, ‘education’ seems to remain tied in an abstract way to professionalization and more optional than necessary” (page 2)	This quote basically answers my whole inquiry question – the Criminal Justice degree still remains more optional than necessary.
“…Nor has the Criminal Justice degree proven itself valuable as a preparation credential” (page 2)	This quote explains that no one has proven that a Criminal Justice degree actually helps someone become a better Police Officer, whether it is necessary or not.
“…experiential learning [Police Academy education] is the only real preparation for Police work. (page 3)	This quote shows that even though you can learn a lot about Police work from a Criminal Justice degree, really, the only hands-on , practical training comes in “experiential learning”, in the Police Academy.
“The Criminal Justice discipline continues to fight a battle for legitimacy within the educational community, seeking to shed the early stigma of ‘Handcuffing 101’.” (page 3)	Other educational disciplines don’t take Criminal Justice seriously because all they think Criminal Justice education is, is how to shoot people and arrest people. In fact, they are only naive. A Criminal Justice education relies more on research methods and statistics and professional strategies than anything else.
“…in a well-developed system, the collegiate process would feed well-prepared individuals into a Police training process that capitalizes on their education, thus creating a complementary approach to improving Police Services.”	In the end, the college degree fits into the Police training well. The Police Academy does the majority of the proper training for Police Officers, but the Criminal Justice college education prepares the student well for intense training. The degree doesn’t necessarily prepare the individual for a Police career but for training for a Police career.

After Reading: 1. This reading is extremely useful for my inquiry project. It addresses the exact question that I want to answer in my paper.

2. This reading addresses the pros and cons of a Criminal Justice degree and how it helps or doesn't help in a Police Training Program.

Dialogic Journal - Article # 1 "Focus on Training"

Focus on Training

Before Reading Questions: 1. I am reading this article because it seems relevant to my inquiry topic. Also, it is published by the FBI bulletin, so I know it is credible and about U.S. Police work.

2. As I read this article, I hope to learn a lot about the processes in Police Training.

“Corrective Feedback in Police Work” by Peter J. McDermott & Diana Hulse, Ed. D

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Quote	Explanation
“Police Recruits are trained and supervised in the work performance areas of tactical skills, communication abilities, understanding of human interactions, and the development of proper documentation skills.” (page 1)	I chose to use this quote because it represents everything that I want out of my inquiry project. This talks about the actual training.
“Corrective feedback occurs when a Field Training Officer (FTO) identifies that recruits’ performance does not meet expectations and prepares to speak with them about changing their behavior.”	I chose this quote because it explains how new recruits are trained in the field.
“In field training programs, recruits are expected to translate classroom instruction to acceptable performance in motor vehicle stops, criminal investigations…They receive mandatory feedback on a daily basis for 10 to 14 weeks.”	I chose this quote because it explains a little about how new officers are taught and learn out in the field. It also explains how they interact with corrective feedback – how they learn from it. Having corrective feedback everyday or 10-14 weeks also helps them get acquainted with this type of instruction.
“Some supervisors may not know how to give corrective feedback and may have their own anxieties…as a result, behavioral change is not initiated, and professional development is stunted for both the giver and receiver.”	I chose this quote because it demonstrates the need for supervisors to give corrective feedback in Police work.
“The CFI-R consists of 30 items presented in a 6-point likert format: strongly disagree, disagree, slightly disagree, slightly agree, agree, and strongly agree.”	I chose this quote because it shows how corrective feedback is given/received.
“Cycle of Effective Feedback: Understandingàpresentingàreflectingà ^ßfollowing upßproblem-solvingß .”	This diagram (which didn’t transfer well to the computer) shows how effective corrective feedback can be translated to/from the recruit.
“During a motor vehicle stop conducted by a recruit and observed by the FTO, it is determined that the recruit conveyed a rude and disrespectful tone toward the vehicle operator. The function of the FTO is to give corrective feedback… put the recruit in a learning mode as opposed to a defensive one.”	This quote explains how an FTO might give corrective feedback and how he can make sure that the recruit reacts positively.

After Reading Questions: 1. I think that this article can definitely be useful to my inquiry project. It shows how new officers in the field learn, which is basically what my inquiry consists of.

2. This article is useful because it demonstrates an in-the-field type of learning presented by a training officer. It gives specific examples of how this “corrective feedback” works. 

Questions to Comments on Exploratory Essay

The best/most helpful comment that I received on my paper was the second comment. The comment says that I need to spend less time summarizing each work and more time analyzing how that work relates to my overall theme. My themes are how and why some students react to learning differently than others and why some students overcome their deficits while others can't. In the comment, Megan says that I need to spend more time explaining why. Why do some students react differently to education than others? Why do some students overcome deficits and others don't? She says to make sure to back up the whys with evidence FROM THE AUTHOR.
The least helpful comment that I received was the comment that says that I need to stick to the author's arguments and leave mine out of the paper. This was the sixth comment. I am confused about what should be in my paper. In the fifth comment, Megan says that she is interested in my ideas and analysis, but in the sixth comment says that I need to stick to the author's claims. This confuses me about what part of my input I should put in the paper. I think that if I had this confusion cleared up, it might make it easier for me to write a better paper.
Some questions that I have from Megan's comments:
-In MLA, are you supposed to do in-line citations or citations at the end of the page or at the end of the paper?
-When I have questions that I am left with from the readings, do I just state the questions in my paper or do I state them and then try to find the answers in the paper or with outside sources?
My plans for revision include general editing. I plan to fix some of my grammar issues. I am going to cut down on the summary of each reading and spend more time analyzing the reading. I am going to spend more time on the why of my themes and how my each reading relates to my overall themes. A big thing that I want to fix are my citations. I need to make them more MLA friendly.

Conference Reflection - 3/13/2013

The conference that I had today regarding my inquiry project was quite helpful. We were given some tips on researching and writing our research paper as well as feedback on our Inquiry Proposal. Megan told us that JSTOR and ERIC are good databases to use for our research. I got a lot of good feedback from my classmates and Megan. As far as my research proposal goes, I was told that I need to come up with one question to focus on throughout my research paper. The research question that I came up with at the end of the conference to focus on is:
What are the differences between a Criminal Justice degree and the Police Academy education and is a Criminal Justice degree really necessary for Police Officers? The first half of my paper is going to focus on the differences between the Criminal Justice degree and the Police Academy education and the second half is going to focus on whether or not a Criminal Justice degree is necessary for Police Officers.
My group also gave me the advice that I should also look at other law enforcement agencies and their requirements for Officers. My plan was to focus on the CMPD because I have ties to this agency, but it would help me expand my research if I looked at other agencies as well. So, I am going to focus on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and use other agencies to comapre and contrast against the CMPD. I am going to compare and contrast the CMPD with other Police Departments (NYPD, Metro PD (DC), LAPD) and some local ones (Mint Hill PD, Pineville PD, Davidson PD, UNC Charlotte PD) and some federal agencies (USSS, FBI).                                             

Police Training

Throughout this semester, I have decided to inquire into the differences between the education received from a Criminal Justice degree versus the education received in a Police Training Academy. I found some interesting information on the CMPD Website about what the training at their academy is like. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is the largest Police Department from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, GA.
The Police training at the CMPD consists of a lot of different types of training. There is physical training, a bike patrol course, firearms training, F.A.T.S (firearms training simulator), handgun training on the handgun range, a "shoot house" that officers go through and also they go through technology training.
The CMPD provides a large amount of information on their website about the training that each officer receives and about the process for applying and joining the CMPD Police Academy.
The website is: http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/CMPD/organization/Administrative/PoliceTrainingAcademy/Training/Pages/Home.aspx

Inquiry Research Proposal

            

Dear Readers,

            I am interested in doing an inquiry into the differences between the education received from a Criminal Justice degree and the education received at a Law Enforcement Academy. I also want to inquire whether a degree in Criminal Justice is necessary and what the education from an Academy adds to a college education. Does someone go into “the Academy” better prepared to learn because they have an educational background in Criminal Justice? I want to find out whether Police Officers who have received a degree in some type of Justice or Law Enforcement perform better or advance faster than those who have only received an education from some type of Law Enforcement Academy.  

            I want my inquiry to be a compare and contrast between college degrees in Justice and Police Academies. My interest in this inquiry comes from my interest in the field of Law Enforcement. I am currently doing an internship with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and I want to become a Police Officer after I graduate from college. I am currently pursuing a Criminal Justice degree and after college I will go straight into the Academy for about six more months of education about Law Enforcement. I am curious to know if this is too much education on one single topic, or maybe not enough.

            I already know some of the differences between “the Academy” and a college degree. I know, for example, that in Police Academies, students not only learn the academic side of the job, but also the physical side of the job. Students have classes on the law, driving techniques, weapons training, tactics, etc. In college there is not usually a class that teaches students how to disarm someone or what to do in a high speed car chase with a criminal. College is more academic, whereas “the Academy” seems very hands-on training.

            What about a college degree makes one person advance to Detective or Sergeant or Captain faster than someone else without a college degree? I want to explore whether it is just the “’novelty” of a degree that makes people think that someone is more qualified or if they actually have more knowledge about the job and therefore are better prepared to do the job.

            I plan to research some of the statistics for people who have successfully completed a Law Enforcement Academy course and how many of those people have a college degree. I will find statistics on how many of the people that advance through the ranks of Law Enforcement agencies have college degrees and how many agencies require college degrees for advancement. I also want to know how many agencies require a college degree for new hires.  

                                                                           Sincerely,

                                                                                Rachel Pilkington