Modern Criminology & Criminal Justice Issues
The University of San Diego Master’s program in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership incorporates awareness and education concerning current criminal justice and criminology issues. The understanding of contemporary practices and challenges is beneficial for law enforcement leaders and allows a real-world understanding of the problems faced today. In this segment, I concentrate on the dynamics of crime and the phenomenon of the significant crime drop in the United States. I also address American drug policies and the effect of drug use on American society. Finally, I speak to the formation of a Homeless Outreach Team to focus on transient related crime in Redondo Beach. Law enforcement managers should be open to change and willing to promote new strategies and initiatives to improve service to their communities.
The first paper I present in this component is Crime Dynamics. In this report, I analyze the trend of the great crime drop in the United States that commenced in the mid-1990s. The country suffered from high crime rates in the 1980s to approximately 1995, but now many communities in America are as safe as they were in the 1960s. Researchers have attempted to ascertain the cause of the reduction in crime; however, what I found is that there is no single answer. It appears that a confluence of events transpired that contributed to the diminution of crime. I explore determinate sentencing laws in California, changing demographics, the economy, the end of the rock cocaine epidemic, and police effectiveness as the cause of the crime reduction.
My second paper studies the overall national drug policy in America, and I write a proposal as if I were the new federal drug czar. Criminologists have debated the war on drugs for decades, and in this report, I speak to the issues of illegal drug use and its effect on society. I also describe the current opioid epidemic and the cost to the country in loss of life and health care costs. Pertaining to the illegal drug trade, I address the Transnational Criminal Organizations in Mexico that have a significant influence on drug trafficking and the associated crime it produces. I endorse a national policy that includes education, enforcement, and new federal drug courts to focus on drug-related offenders.
The third paper in this module is a fictional memo to the mayor of Redondo Beach, where I propose a new Homeless Outreach Team in the police department. The unit would address the transient issues and related criminal activity in the city, and I detail the associated costs and personnel allocation that would be necessary. I also analyze the homeless problem in the city presently and describe the department’s partnership with social service agencies and non-profit organizations. Most of the report itemizes the budget required and what responsibilities will be undertaken by the new entity. I also address what effect the team will expect to have on the homeless issue. One added benefit is that patrol officers will have more time to focus on other problems since the outreach team will be concentrating on this task.
My review of these topics has improved my understanding and ability to address these modern-day themes in criminal justice today. Similarly, I can make use of this knowledge to implement policies and programs in my department. The current concerns of Crime Dynamics, America Drug Policy and a pragmatic proposal for a Homeless Outreach Team are issues that are of importance to all criminal justice managers. Therefore, the University of San Diego Master’s program offers practical insight and competencies to skillfully construct a strategy and execute change in reaction to the public's concerns.
The University of San Diego Master’s program in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership incorporates awareness and education concerning current criminal justice and criminology issues. The understanding of contemporary practices and challenges is beneficial for law enforcement leaders and allows a real-world understanding of the problems faced today. In this segment, I concentrate on the dynamics of crime and the phenomenon of the significant crime drop in the United States. I also address American drug policies and the effect of drug use on American society. Finally, I speak to the formation of a Homeless Outreach Team to focus on transient related crime in Redondo Beach. Law enforcement managers should be open to change and willing to promote new strategies and initiatives to improve service to their communities.
The first paper I present in this component is Crime Dynamics. In this report, I analyze the trend of the great crime drop in the United States that commenced in the mid-1990s. The country suffered from high crime rates in the 1980s to approximately 1995, but now many communities in America are as safe as they were in the 1960s. Researchers have attempted to ascertain the cause of the reduction in crime; however, what I found is that there is no single answer. It appears that a confluence of events transpired that contributed to the diminution of crime. I explore determinate sentencing laws in California, changing demographics, the economy, the end of the rock cocaine epidemic, and police effectiveness as the cause of the crime reduction.
My second paper studies the overall national drug policy in America, and I write a proposal as if I were the new federal drug czar. Criminologists have debated the war on drugs for decades, and in this report, I speak to the issues of illegal drug use and its effect on society. I also describe the current opioid epidemic and the cost to the country in loss of life and health care costs. Pertaining to the illegal drug trade, I address the Transnational Criminal Organizations in Mexico that have a significant influence on drug trafficking and the associated crime it produces. I endorse a national policy that includes education, enforcement, and new federal drug courts to focus on drug-related offenders.
The third paper in this module is a fictional memo to the mayor of Redondo Beach, where I propose a new Homeless Outreach Team in the police department. The unit would address the transient issues and related criminal activity in the city, and I detail the associated costs and personnel allocation that would be necessary. I also analyze the homeless problem in the city presently and describe the department’s partnership with social service agencies and non-profit organizations. Most of the report itemizes the budget required and what responsibilities will be undertaken by the new entity. I also address what effect the team will expect to have on the homeless issue. One added benefit is that patrol officers will have more time to focus on other problems since the outreach team will be concentrating on this task.
My review of these topics has improved my understanding and ability to address these modern-day themes in criminal justice today. Similarly, I can make use of this knowledge to implement policies and programs in my department. The current concerns of Crime Dynamics, America Drug Policy and a pragmatic proposal for a Homeless Outreach Team are issues that are of importance to all criminal justice managers. Therefore, the University of San Diego Master’s program offers practical insight and competencies to skillfully construct a strategy and execute change in reaction to the public's concerns.