Also, be sure to check out StudentAdvisor.com’s student generated school reviews. If you are already enrolled in a program, review your school and help others make the important decision as to where they will continue their education.

The David E. Whitmire Scholarship fund was created in 1999 by various members of the Whitmire family to honor the life and career of David E. Whitmire.

Applicants must be:

• full or part-time student
  
• graduate or undergraduate student at a four-year accredited university
• U.S. citizen
• have at least a 3.5 GPA
  
• a criminal justice, criminology, police administration, police science major
  

Application deadline is December 15, 2010.

The scholarship winner will receive $500.00.

For more information and to apply visit the David E. Whitmire Scholarship Fund’s website

This week, May 9-15^th, is National Police Week. There will be activities and special events held in Washington D.C. May 13-16. For those of you who don’t know what National Police Week is, here’s some information.

Each May during National Police Week the nation pauses to recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. law enforcement. National Police Week was first established by President John F. Kennedy and a joint resolution of congress. It pays special tribute to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. Ceremonies are held throughout the country, but the largest of events are held in the nation’s capital.

Here’s a look at what’s been going on in D.C., and the events that are still to come.

Thursday, May 13
Official Arrival Day
22nd Annual Candlelight Vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Friday, May 14
First Day – National Police Survivors’ Conference
Alexandria, VA

Saturday, May 15
National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service
United States Capitol

Sunday, May 16
Second Day – National Police Survivors’ Conference

Various other special events — a pipeband march, an honor guard competition, a motorcycle Law Ride and more — take place in and around the Memorial during National Police Week. In general, National Police Week events are free and open to the public.

Today’s article is a guest post by Paula Parker, 2nd Vice President of Texas Women in Law Emforcement (TWLE) organization and a police officer with Missouri City Police Department. Ms. Parker began her career in law enforcement in 2001. She spent the first six years of her career with Stafford Police Department  where she was promoted to Corporal after 2 years and took on the duties as a nightshift supervisor. She also spent time assigned as the School Resource Officers Supervisor.  She then moved her career to Missouri City Police Department as the only female on the new Dive Team.  Her goal is to become an instructor and help give back the experience she has gained. In this article she discusses the challenges and benefits of women who are seeking careers in law enforcement. Enjoy!

Thinking of becoming a Female Police Officer, working patrol shifts on the streets? If you are serious about starting a career in law enforcement as a police officer, you have probably stopped to think about the challenges females face in a male dominated profession. Consider the challenges females may often face; but more importantly consider the benefits a career in law enforcement offers females.

In recent years, the increase of women in law enforcement has diminished the traditional idea of law enforcement as a male dominant profession. Women have become more prevalent in law enforcement in all areas, from patrol to detectives, or special assignments such as SWAT or honor guard to supervisors, and even chiefs of departments. Female officers over the past three decades have increased, (in large agencies of 100 or more sworn positions) from 2% to 12.7% in 2001.

Based on tradition, as a male dominated profession, women have encountered trials and tribulations in order to better adapt to the field. It has long been thought that females are less physically capable of performing as well as men in policing. Women on average weigh less, are shorter and have less physical strength. Although physical strength has not been studied as a downfall for law enforcement, it merely „weeds out‟ potentially good women (and men).

However, women offer an underlying physical advantage making them just as competent as their male colleague. Women tend to use a style of policing that relies more on (physical) communication rather than physical force. Women have been accredited for a more community-oriented style of policing and thus more effective at handling domestic disturbances or violent incidents. “Women are better at diffusing a situation; they tend to listen more before they react.” Women have been recognized for using less excessive force than men, yet women are not reluctant to use force when necessary.

Physical differences are only one of a number of challenges that females may have to face. Women who succeed in law enforcement typically adapt by becoming mentally strong and finding inner strength to overcome the various challenges. While the challenges women face may appear to be gender biased, ironically there are non gender biases that a career in law enforcement can offer women.

So why should women pursue a career in law enforcement? Law enforcement, in today’s economy, can provide job security. A job that is more than a job, it is a career that provides knowledge and experience that is universal, collective and changes every day. Women respond to the same situations as men, and have the same opportunity to learn, experience and gain the same knowledge.

Law enforcement is not gender biased when it comes to a pay scale. Each officer is (typically) paid by rank and years of experience. Training, which is the stepping stone for increased pay and additional certifications, is available to both women and men. Gender is not a factor in the amount of pay or training officers receive.
Special duty assignments, such as SWAT, dive team or honor guard, are not gender biased. Officers, both female and male, are provided the same opportunity to be a part of these assignments based solely on experience, knowledge and or training. In some circumstances, female officers provide diversity in size and dexterity.

In numerous ways, women have struggled to gain the acceptance of the male colleague in law enforcement. Astoundingly, many women have made the numerous challenges a determination in their pursuit of a noble career in law enforcement. Times have changed from the many years ago when physical strength and ego were a priority. Today women who prevail in law enforcement can be defined by one word; Moxie – the ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage.

For more information, please visit Texas Women in Law Enforcement or this article on Law Enforcement Degree Programs.

For many, finding a way to pay for tuition can be the most challenging part of going back to school. Fortunately, there are many different sources of educational funding- you just need to know where to look for them!

Grants, for example, are a sum of money that you can use to pay for your tuition and do not have to repay. Grants and scholarships are alike in this, but grants are usually awarded more for financial need, whereas scholarships are awarded more for merit (accomplishing an achievement as defined by the scholarship sponsors). Grants can be large or small, but every dollar helps, so you should apply for every grant opportunity you qualify for.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) offers a couple of different grants for police officers to use for continuing education and training programs. One is the Byrne Formula Grant Program, which memorializes the death of a New York City police officer killed by drug dealers. The grant program is designed to help train police officers in techniques to combat drugs in their community. Another grant offered by the BJA is the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant (LLEBG), which supports projects that “reduce crime and improve public safety”. Police officers from all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and all U.S. Territories are eligible to apply.

To Apply, you would need to contact:

Programs Office
Bureau of Justice Assistance
810 Seventh Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20531
202-307-0703

Another grant that is available to all students, no matter what you are studying, is the Pell Grant. Pell Grants are awarded to low-income college students whose family income falls below a certain level. In order to qualify for a Pell Grant you must be a U.S. citizen and an undergraduate student. When you fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you are automatically considered for a Pell Grant. To learn more, be sure to check out EducationGrant.

Other way to fund your Criminal Justice Education:

• Criminal Justice Scholarships
• Student Loans

If you want to become a police officer, you can better your chances for employment and promotion to higher rankings as you increase your experience and education. Here is a list of a few ideas of things you can do to advance your career:

1. Earn your criminal justice degree.
2. Participate in trainings or certifications for CPR, first aid, or EMT.
3. Maintain a healthy and physically fit lifestyle.
4. Gain experience by volunteering at your local police department or campus safety department.
5. Learn a second language.
6. Attend firearm safety courses.
7. Gain self defense training.
8. Maintain a clear criminal record.
9. Attend a formal police academy after graduation.
10. Check your attitude at the door!

Phyllis is a non-traditional student pursuing a dual degree in Criminal Justice and Business. She is also a supervisor of the Student Safety Patrol (SSP) and puts in countless hours scheduling SSP members, coordinating events, and leading activities.

She quit high school in 1971 and earned a GED in 1981. She completed a little college at that time, but didn’t have time to complete a degree with four children at home and a full time job. Now that her youngest is also attending Genesee, she decided it was a good time to finish her degree. She completed a Criminal Justice degree in December 2009 with a 3.89 GPA. She is now working on a Business Administration degree and currently holds a 4.0 GPA. She will complete that degree this coming December. Phyllis hopes to one day own her own private security company.

Pretty Impressive Phyllis!

In the News

Yesterday evening a transatlantic flight made an unexpected emergency landing in Bangor, Maine on its way from Paris to Atlanta. Federal Air Marshals were forced to take action when 26-year old Derek Stansberry, a passenger on the flight, claimed to have explosives in his luggage and a fake passport. The flight landed safely in Bangor where Stansberry was taken into custody and his luggage was searched.

The air marshals discovered that Stansberry’s passport was authentic and there was nothing suspicious in his luggage. All passengers spent the night in Bangor and are scheduled to continue on to Atlanta in the morning. Although this may have been a false alarm, air safety is taken very seriously and Stanberry will no doubt be in a lot of trouble!

This full story can be read here. 

More About Air Marshals

The Federal Air Marshal Service is the primary law enforcement agency within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Air Marshals are the undercover agents in the sky who protect over 80,000 flights in US airspace each day. They are responsible for protecting passengers and flight crew from crime and acts of terrorism. Air marshals may assist the FBI and National Counterterrorism Center in investigations to identify criminals and criminal threats. They must also prevent other forms of criminal misconduct (such as smuggling) from occurring.

Air marshals are usually disguised to blend in with other passengers. Air marshals carry weapons and are able to make arrests without warrants when necessary. According to the TSA, a Federal Air Marshal flies 181 days a year and spends 5 hours a day in an aircraft.

Many people are under the impression that a criminal justice degree is required to work in law enforcement. This is not necessarily always the case. Here are a couple of examples of instances where a criminal justice degree may not be required.

In agencies such as the FBI or DEA, a bachelor’s degree is required but it can be in any discipline. If you earned a degree in business you will still meet the education requirements for a job in these types of agencies. You would not have to go back to school to earn a degree specifically in criminal justice.

Many police departments will hire high school graduates or individuals who have not yet finished their college degree. Hires often are, however, required to earn a degree by a certain date in order to maintain their position within the department. In Wisconsin, for example, police departments are implementing a rule stating that all new hires have 5 years to meet the educational requirements for their position. Each state has its own rules and time frames, and some states do not yet have education requirements for officers.

Reasons to Earn a Criminal Justice Degree

Although criminal justice degrees are not always required at the time of hire, degrees are required for better pay and better promotions. More and more law enforcement agencies are rewarding those who earn college degrees, or take advanced courses, by providing tuition assistance and pay incentives.

If you have always dreamed of working in criminal justice or are preparing specifically for a criminal justice career, it is a good idea to major in criminal justice or another related field. A degree in Criminal Justice can serve as a strong background for law enforcement and administrative duties in Police Departments, Sheriff’s Offices, State Patrols, or Federal Governments.

In Florida a police officer is facing charges for pulling over minority drivers and giving them tickets even though they did nothing wrong. After a two month investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed what several wrongly-ticketed drivers claimed was true.

An Indiana police officer resigned following an investigation into postings on his Facebook page. In his profile, he referred to himself as the “garbage man,” called those he arrests “trash” and bragged about heavy drinking. One post showed the officer with a .357 Magnum pointed at his head and drinking beer with friends. He also posted pictures of a crash involving his police cruiser. This is certainly not the first incident I have heard of where an individual looses their job because of what they post on Facebook!

In Georgia, a Gwinnett County police officer resigned after he was caught stunning a Waffle House employee with a taser without provocation. The officer was been charged with one count of battery and one count of violation of oath of office.

The Chief of Police in Vergennes, Vermont was charged with driving under the influence after he drove his cruiser into a parked car back in June. The chief was off duty and turning onto a street when his cruiser hit the left rear end of a parked car. Prescription drugs were found in his system.

This story has to be my favorite:

Also in Florida, members of a drug task force were caught on tape playing Wii Bowling while executing a search warrant. Eleven agency members, including sheriffs, sergeants, detectives, and deputies, are being investigated. Check out the video!

Source: Officer.com