Introduction to Criminal Justice at Methodist University was a pleasant experience for me and has shown me so much not only about the criminal justice field, but more about myself and what I would like to do in my career. This class has shown me more of what this field of study includes and has helped me see that there is so much more to this profession than I thought. The course did a great job in showing different aspects of the career and how everything within the courts, government, etc help play into the overall scheme of how criminal justice works. Parts of the class that interested me the most was the chapter on drugs and the problems they cause police officers of today, and how forensic science plays into the picture of a criminal case. The chapter on drugs helped me to realize that drugs costs a lot of money to fight and give little reward, other than drug money and guns, to the police officers risking their lives to fight them. I think that drugs are something that can tear apart a community and can put many officers in danger when they go to fight them. Drugs like marijuana are already legal in two states and I don’t think it will be long before other states begin to legalize it just because of the costs it takes to fight such a popular drug like marijuana. The thing that probably intrigued me the most about the war on drugs is how it is fought on our nations borders and how much trouble someone would go through just to get it onto United States soil. I find it ridiculous that someone could be that dedicated to an illegal job and to put their freedom on the line by trying to smuggle something into the country. Drugs are something that are always going to be hard to fight and costs our country lots of money, but they play a big role in everyday policing activities. Drugs also contribute to a lot of the calls dispatchers receive across the country each and every day. Another aspect that can go along with the drug war is forensic science. Forensic science is a broad field that is constantly growing in an electronic dependent world we all live in today. Some of the tools used in this field are some of the most advanced electronic devices made to date and forensic technicians and specialists contribute loads of information to the criminal justice field across the United States. These people take fingerprints, deal with dead bodies, run tests on drugs, and help bring cases to a closing point in court and bringing justice to the deceased person in a case. Forensic technology is ever expanding and the need for people to work in this field is something that is needed now more than ever. I think this is one of the reasons that I have been drawn to a field like this is because I want to bring justice to people who deserve it and help make our community and this nation a better and safer place to live and grow up. There are many types of forensic specialists used on a daily basis to help do some of the most basic things of law enforcement and we also have some that deal with some of the most gory and gross things you will ever see. People are drawn to shows like CSI and NCIS, or Forensic Files because people want to see how the process of a murder scene works, but what they don’t know is that it’s nothing like what they put on tv. I am ready to explore this career field and find my niche so that I can better help this community and go a long way in law enforcement. Overall this is the most interesting course I have taken thus far at Methodist mainly because it has helped me see why I love this field so much, and because it has shown me that this is really what I want to do the rest of my life. By offering this course in the way that it does Methodist University has helped lay a solid foundation about this career and going forward it will really help me. This class has been an awesome experience and I have learned not only about criminal justice, but I have learned why it is important and why I absolutely can not wait to be apart of such a great field. I can’t wait to graduate not because I will be done with school but because I am ready to start my career and excel; hoping to make this community, state, and country a better place to live.

My goals in life are something that have been pretty much the same throughout my teenage years and probably the coolest part of having goals is now seeing them beginning to play out. I had a goal of attending a good university and going into the criminal justice field and that has begun to unfold over the last few years. I am now a sophomore at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina and am beginning to get into some of the criminal justice classes within the university setting. Methodist has worked very hard to obtain a new program and a new major: Applied Forensic Science in which I will hopefully be switching over to during the fall of 2014. Applied Forensic science was before just a concentration either within the Justice Studies or Chemistry majors. Forensic science is something that has always interested me and is something that I plan to work very hard at in order to be able to go as far as I can within the growing profession. Forensic science is a field that is constantly expanding and growing as a field and I am very excited to become a part of this field of study. Methodist University and the professors within the criminal justice department have done a great job in making this new major available and I can’t wait to see what these courses can teach me. With that being said attending a university for criminal justice or forensic science is only the beginning of my life goals in which I hope to accomplish and achieve. Coming along with the goal to attend a university for criminal justice is the goal of getting on with a well-developed police force to gain experience. Upon graduation I plan to attend BLET (Basic Law-Enforcement Training) with the Fayetteville police department and become a licensed officer within the city. I have taken ride-alongs and know many officers, including the chief, within this department and I hope to become a part of this police force and to make our community a safer place. I have grown up in this area and I know attend school here so I think that is why this community holds a special place in my life and no matter where law enforcement may take me I will always call this city home. After going to BLET and getting a few years “under my belt” I plan to work in Fayetteville for at least a few years. While I work here I plan to begin applying for the SBI (State Bureau of Investigation) possibly as either an agent or a forensic technician for the state of North Carolina. This decision will depend on how I like being a police officer and if I still intend to pursue a forensic science position at a higher level rather than just being a forensic technician with a local department. I want to keep my options open because I do not know what I will like best and what positions will be available at the time in which I apply. Hopefully if everything works out and with God’s help I will be able to get on with the SBI within the first 5-8 years of my career in the law enforcement profession. With the training I have received thus far and will receive in my last two years at Methodist University I fully anticipate being equipped and ready to handle a state policing position. If I do get the opportunity to work with the state I then plan, after a short time, to begin applying to work in a federal law enforcement position. Having had family in the FBI and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) I think that I would eventually like to also work in one of those agencies. I plan to perform at a high level and try to stand out in both of my previous stages of law enforcement to better equip myself for such a high position within the profession. I feel as if the DEA would be a good agency for me to consider because of my forensic science interests and since that will be my degree I feel that I will be equipped to work in the drug labs for the federal government. Again this stage in my career and what agencies I will apply for will depend on my interests and experiences within previous agencies. I hope to be able to accomplish this goal of being a federal employ within my first 20 years in this profession. Knowing how I learn and my interests within the university setting will help me greatly in developing not only my life goals but also will help me develop plans on how to achieve those goals. By finding out who I am as a person and what I want to do all while going to Methodist University I think that helps me have an advantage on the people I will compete with in the job market. Most young adults either don’t know what they want to do with their lives or don’t have a plan laid out to get there and I have both. I appreciate the effort of the professors at my university for pushing me to think above and beyond about my future and how I will achieve my goals throughout my career. Law enforcement is a career in which there is so much room to grow and move up to higher positions and I plan to try and do that in my career. I think that the time tables I have set are all reasonable and reachable and will allow me plenty of time to get my mind around what I want to accomplish and how I will get there. Going to Methodist University has helped me tremendously in realizing what I want to do the rest of my life and has helped me develop a great passion for the law enforcement profession. I can’t wait to finish out my final two years of school and begin my career in the greatest field in the world.

Where I am and where I'm going

Criminal justices, along with the idea of being a police officer, are both things that have interested me since my early childhood years. I am now in my second year in the justice studies program at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina and ,as I begin to take classes dealing with my major my thoughts of working in the criminal justice field only continue to grow. Before I graduate, Methodist I hope to be able to better understand what this field entails and set more direct goals as I begin thinking about my career options. I am scheduled to graduate in two years and upon graduation I see myself going to the police academy here in Fayetteville and beginning my career as an officer shortly after. I see myself living here for several years and starting a family in my hometown. My whole family lives in Fayetteville and this is the city where I have grown up; and, this is why I plan to stay here and begin my career as an officer as a way to give back to this community that I love. Crime rates here in Fayetteville are really high for cities of this size and I want to help deter crime rates and take the “bad guys” off of the streets. Department rules state that I will have to complete at least two years of patrol, or road duty, to begin applying for various specialized areas of service like SWAT, homicide, etc. By majoring in justice studies and taking the concentration in forensic science minor I hope to expand the many options and opportunities that I will have with Fayetteville PD. I am not sure what areas of the department I would like to begin applying to be a part of at the end of my first two years on patrol, but I plan to make myself available and willing to do anything that may open up. I see myself in five years having applied to be either on SWAT or a homicide detective and hopefully occupying one of those positions. I think that the concentration in forensic science will help enable me to become a detective. Once I work for a few years here in Fayetteville I plan to weigh my options here in the city and begin applying for the North Carolina SBI. There are many opportunities available within the SBI from being a special agent to working for the state’s forensic department. I am hoping that with my forensic science concentration I can possibly get a job in the state crime lab in Raleigh and relocate to the city of Raleigh or Cary. Ten years from now I see myself working with the SBI and having a family living in the central part of the state and working statewide on various crimes. I hope to also around this time begin applying to go to a federal law enforcement position. As of now I am looking into applying to be a special agent either with the FBI, DEA, or the Secret Service. I think that all of these jobs are very important in keeping America safe, nd I hope to be able to hold one of these positions in the future. Twenty years from now I see myself working for the federal government and living wherever that job may take me. I hope to be making great money while loving my job and raising several children. If I am not able to get into a federal law enforcement position I plan to stay in North Carolina and continue to move up within the state SBI. Regardless of the outcome I see myself still having a passion for law enforcement and having a successful career in the Raleigh area. Being a police officer is something that isn’t meant for everyone, but after going on ride alongs, touring police departments and taking justice studies classes at Methodist University I have grown to love this great profession I plan to pursue. I have several successful law enforcement officers in my family and also have several aunts that work for the FBI and DEA. With their help I hope to achieve my ultimate goal of being a federal law enforcement officer and helping make America a safer place to live. I find myself fortunate to be able to attend a great university and be able to help further the law enforcement passion possessed by so many in my family. Though these goals have not been achieved and ultimately could change this is where I see myself going as of right now and these goals are what keep me going on the path to success. Law enforcement is something that America needs in order to be a safe nation and is something that I am glad to be a part of.