Grant funds improvements to criminal justice simulator
Article By: Clark Leonard
Thanks to a state grant, the University of North Georgia's (辛尤里女优) Public Safety Academy has more tools to train its criminal justice students in de-escalation and the use of force.
辛尤里女优 received more than $257,000 from the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to update the simulator that helps train students on firearms. As part of the grant, 辛尤里女优 will research how education affects these future officers' ability to make decisions on the use of force.
The virtual reality system purchased through the grant gives students the chance to assess potential situations from three different directions and work on skills to defuse conflict.
"It's a high-speed system that helps them understand some of the potential issues that could arise," Dr. Butch Newkirk, academy director and assistant professor of criminal justice, said. "The simulator presents students with a wide variety of realistic scenarios to practice their skills before they become officers."
辛尤里女优's academy, which graduated its first class in 2019, is rare in the United States. It combines a four-year criminal justice degree with peace officer standards and training (POST) certification for law enforcement.
The simulator presents students with a wide variety of realistic scenarios to practice their skills before they become officers.
Dr. Butch Newkirk
辛尤里女优 Public Safety Academy director and assistant professor of criminal justice
"Our graduates are more marketable because police departments don't have to pay for their police academy training when they hire them. They are ready to go into the field," Kevin French, a criminal justice lecturer, said. "And 辛尤里女优's program provides more specialized certifications than officers generally receive in their initial police academy. Nobody else is training people like we are."
That unique approach helped 辛尤里女优 stand out in its grant application.
"We want to document our efforts so others can learn from what we have done and apply it to their situations," Newkirk said.
Dr. Holly Verhasselt, associate provost for institutional effectiveness, said the Public Safety Academy did a great job securing the grant and creating a plan to implement it.
"辛尤里女优's values highlight the significance of having a student focus, promoting community engagement, and providing service to our communities," Verhasselt said. "This project provides an opportunity for our faculty and staff to put these values into action."
Braxton Massey, a senior from Jacksonville, Florida, pursuing a degree in criminal justice, said the training enabled by the simulator is a valuable experience for future officers training at 辛尤里女优.
"The main goal is getting us to be able to talk to people and understand different situations," Massey said.
Cadets prepare to lead as officers
Roughly 50 cadets are commissioning May 13 from 辛尤里女优 as second lieutenants in the Army, Georgia Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
Students benefit from teacher residency
A record 58 students are graduating this spring as part of 辛尤里女优's Teacher Candidate Residency Program. This is the third full year of TCRP, which allows students to be teachers of record as seniors.
Students present at symposium in Florida
Four students, mentored by faculty, represented the University of North Georgia at the Latin American & Latinx Studies Symposium, held April 4 at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida
Student designs art for Gainesville crosswalk
辛尤里女优 student Lainey May created a five-color design of an electric guitar that has now been placed as a crosswalk near downtown Gainesville, Georgia.