CriminalJusticeProgramsOnline.com

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Degrees by Level
    • Certificate
    • Associate’s Degree
    • Bachelor’s Degree
    • Master’s Degree
    • Doctorate Program
  • Degrees by Specialty
    • Computer Forensics
    • Corrections
    • Court Reporting
    • Crime Scene Investigation
    • Criminal Justice Administration
    • Criminal Justice for Special Populations
    • Criminology
    • Forensic Pathology
    • Forensic Science
    • Juvenile Justice
    • Law Enforcement
    • Public Safety
    • Security Management
  • Blog

Classrooms Imitate Crime: Criminal Justice Schools that Teach with Mock Crime Scenes

July 24, 2014 by admin

Featured Programs:
Sponsored School(s)
Southern New Hampshire University Logo
Southern New Hampshire University
Featured Program: Online AS, BS, and MS in Criminal Justice
Request Info
Purdue University Global Logo
Purdue University Global
Featured Program: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's in Criminal Justice
Request Info
Walden University Logo
Walden University
Featured Program: Online BS, MS, and PhD Criminal Justice Programs
Request Info
Grand Canyon University Logo
Grand Canyon University
Featured Program: Online Criminal Justice Degrees
Request Info
Liberty University Logo
Liberty University
Featured Program: Online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Request Info

At Radford University, students took part in a mock crime scene competition run by Department of Criminal Justice professor Emi Moldovan. Here’s the setup: Seven student teams, consisting of three students within each team, took part in a mock CSI competition based on the 1849 Parkman-Webster murder case, one of the first investigations to use forensic science to identify the victim.

mock crime scenes

Many of the participants in the competition were upper division students aiming to put to practical use many of the criminal justice and forensic science topics they’d learned about in classroom study. During the competition, students set up crime tape, followed trails of fake blood, collected evidence, interviewed suspects, asked for search warrants and even took time to speak to the media. According to professor Moldovan, some of the mock crime scenes had been so realistically created that students seeing them for the first time actually became uneasy, even frightened.

What Are the Benefits of a Mock Crime Scene?

First and foremost, it’s an eye-opening experience that takes students beyond the classroom to show them the reality of their future job. Second, it’s a chance to take what they’ve learned in courses and see how to apply it to the real world. And finally, these mock CSI events can bring students together with local law enforcement personnel and start building relationships and discover more learning opportunities, as well.

FIND SCHOOLS
Sponsored Content

In a mock crime scene run by Radford University in 2015, it got real-world complicated. The crime scene was a room on campus set up by instructors ahead of time. Students practiced securing the scene, protecting the evidence and maintaining the chain of custody, and they formed hypotheses about what actually happened. Police and media representatives took part by “interfering” with the crime scene and adding to the challenge. Mock crime scenes can be some of the best preparation out there for working in the real world.

A Drive-By Shooting

Howard Payne University put students’ criminal justice education to the test recently, creating a mock crime scene with evidence pointing to a drive-by shooting. The scene included two pieces of evidence that had dropped from the car during the event, intended to help steer the student investigators closer to identifying the nature of the crime, as well as finding the killer.

Overseen by HPU Department of Public Safety Chief and CJ professor Paul Lilly, the exercise’s goal was to provide applications of classroom study – such as Legal Aspects, Ethics, and Crime in America, among others. Students photographed and collected data and lifted fingerprints from the scene, carefully following an ethical and legal gathering process similar to what they will encounter in their careers in law enforcement.

Is That Cocaine?

Another mock crime scene in Dickson City, Pennsylvania, pulled out all the stops: flour, sugar and parsley played the roles of cocaine, heroin and marijuana, respectively, while corn syrup covering a knife took the part of real blood in the educational demonstration. It was a card game gone wrong, leaving two suspects trying to explain a resulting fatal stabbing.

In this exercise, students took part in interviews with the two suspects and filled out authentic Baltimore police paperwork. Having spent 14 years at the Baltimore Police Department, Dave Kostiak, CJ program director at McCann, said he loves showing students that it’s not as easy as it might look to civilians.

Mock Crime Scenes Promote Interaction between Students and Law Enforcement

Olivet Nazarene University junior Brad Palmer helped formulate an idea for a mock crime scene for his classmates and him to practice with. Working alongside the Bourbonnais, Ill. Police Department, they moved through a variety of learning stations, gaining exposure to a myriad of CSI procedures.

Students had a chance to work with seasoned detectives as well as a Bourbonnais police chief as they lifted fingerprints, collected DNA evidence, spoke with witnesses, evaluated crime scene photography, and much more. The event – like most mock crime scenes in the U.S. – gave students the opportunity to work with local police and gain hands-on experience, a valuable introduction to the criminal justice-related fields they will enter after they graduate.

FIND SCHOOLS
Sponsored Content

Experiencing a mock crime scene can act as a bridge from classroom study to a wide range of law enforcement fields. These practice scenes are not only different from anything students have met with in the classroom, they also provide valuable preparation for making a real difference in the world.

FIND SCHOOLS
1
2
3
4
Sponsored Content

Related Posts

  • Crime Scene Investigation Degrees Online Crime scene investigation (CSI) includes collecting and analyzing physical evidence…
  • Forensic Science Degrees Online With a degree in forensic science, you'll learn how to…
  • Exciting New Technologies Alter the Forensic Science… We take a look at some of the more intriguing…
  • The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program: Changing Perceptions… As learning experiences go, the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program might…
  • Online Forensic Pathology Degrees Forensic pathology involves investigating crime scenes and performing autopsies, typically…
  • Online Law Enforcement Degrees Law enforcement professionals work at the federal, state, and local…
  • Online Criminology Degrees Why do people commit crimes? Criminologists seek to reveal the…
  • Online Bachelor's Degrees in Criminal Justice The criminal justice system depends on dedicated professionals to handle…
  • Online Degree Programs in Juvenile Justice The justice system recognizes juvenile delinquency as a separate sector…
  • Online Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice A master's degree in criminal justice is ideal for current…
Our site does not feature every educational option available on the market. We encourage you to perform your own independent research before making any education decisions. Many listings are from partners who compensate us, which may influence which programs we write about.
Learn more about us

Copyright © 2012-2023 · CriminalJusticeProgramsOnline.com

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use