Law Enforcement Professional

Considering a career in law enforcement? Law enforcement officials conduct fascinating and difficult work across all American cities from street to street. To give professionals the most in-depth look at law enforcement possible, this program examines the history, structure, actions and strategies of American police. Students will explore a number of interesting topics including the structure and purpose of federal, state and local police forces, their inner-workings and interconnectivity as well as the various ways each individual force plays a role in the collective effort to are on the front lines of everyday police functions, criminal accountability and the relationship between law enforcement and the community that maintains public order.

Law Enforcement Professionals operate every day inside an ever-evolving world of crime and violence. Facing an array of issues from localized criminal activity to emergency and public health issues that constitute a national or international threat can come up at a moment’s notice, Law Enforcement Professionals are on the front lines of defense for our communities. To this end, all professionals involved in law enforcement from must have an array of applicable skills from combating and preventing crime in the first place, to solving crimes through strategic interviewing and interrogation of involved individuals and proper, legal criminal procedures necessary for the success of the legal system as well.

Recognizing the need for skilled professionals that understand the difficult and highly-nuanced issues authorities face every day, the Law Enforcement program to take learners through the ins and outs of day-to-day police activity and introduce learners to the complex criminal justice system. Learners who complete this program will understand various police interviewing and interrogation techniques alongside investigation practices necessary to prevent crime and mitigate potential effects. Moreover, this career track ensures learners come away from the program with a firm understanding of the criminal justice system as a whole and the ethical considerations that ensure its proper function every day.

Program Objectives

After completing this program, learners will be able to:

• Define terms related to law enforcement
• Examine the organization of law enforcement
• Examine the roles, functions, and styles of policing
• Describe the impact that history has had on the current law enforcement system
• Analyze the use of forensic science and criminalistics in the criminal justice system
• Examine challenges faced by law enforcement
• Analyze laws as related to policing
• Appraise the use of technology in policing
• Analyze issues related to policing in foreign countries
• Describe the personal qualities that affect the interview process
• Research, using articles from the Internet, and describe how to successfully interview and interrogate witnesses
• Differentiate an interview from an interrogation
• Formulate a list of questions that can be used in purposeful interrogation
• Identify the steps in the interview process
• Compare the traditional interview method with the cognitive interview method
• Identify the constitutional and legal considerations that must be made during a criminal interrogation
• Using case studies, analyze the techniques used by officers in obtaining a confession and make suggestions for improvement
• Describe interview approaches for special populations
• Use Microsoft Office®

Certification Opportunities

After completing this program, learners will have the opportunity to take the leading national/industry-recognized certification exam(s) essential to entry-level employment in this fast-growing field.

National Workforce Career Association (NWCA) Law Enforcement (CJ-LEP)

Optional Volunteer Externship Opportunity

Learners who complete this program are eligible to participate in an optional volunteer externship opportunity with a local company/agency/organization whose work aligns with this area of study in order to gain valuable hands-on experience.  As learners progress through their eLearning program, an Externship Coordinator will reach out to coordinate placement.

Note: Additional documentation including health records, immunizations, drug-screening, criminal background checks, etc. may be required by the externship facility.