Criminal Justice In New Mexico Training Program
The truth can now be told. Members of the criminal justice
program at Sam Houston State University are training aliens
in Roswell, New Mexico, with the blessing of the United States
government.
However, these "aliens" are not space creatures
who have landed on Earth from extraterrestrial universes.
They are senior level law enforcement officers from foreign
countries, and the purpose of the program is to minimize the
impact of transnational crime and terrorism.
Sam Houston State University is one of the partners in the
program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State's
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
and operated under a cooperative agreement with the New Mexico
Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro.
The other partners are Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell,
which provides facilities and local support, and Science Applications
International Corporation, which provides program coordination.
SHSU furnishes instructors and expertise in curriculum.
The law enforcement training program in Roswell is just
one of five International Law Enforcement Academies supported
by the State Department. The others are located in Budapest,
Bangkok, Gaborone (Africa) and one which is under development
in Latin America. The combined academies have trained over
8,000 officers from 50 countries.
The Roswell academy emphasizes academics, rather than technical,
hands-on training, according to Richard Ward, dean and director
of the College of Criminal Justice and Criminal Justice Center
at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.
"The sessions are comprised of lectures, case studies,
and simulations or exercises where the participants can come
back and give the results of their experiences in trying to
work with each other in solving problems," said Ward.
"The mission of the program at Roswell is to encourage
students to think about the theories and philosophies of law
enforcement management and how these theories can best be
applied in their countries," he said.
Approximately 20 representatives of the SHSU criminal justice
faculty and staff travel to Roswell throughout the year to
teach in their areas of expertise. Some of the topics they
cover include: thinking globally-acting locally; global trends;
maintaining civil society; professional standards; statistics;
ethics; obstacles to effective policing; United Nations standards
on human rights; and policing beyond borders.
The coordinator of logistics for the Sam Houston State faculty
is Joe Serio, an SHSU criminal justice doctoral student. Serio's
recent experience includes managing the Moscow office of a
United States-based corporate investigation firm. He has traveled
to over 25 countries and worked internationally on behalf
of American and European clients. He also serves as the editor-in-chief
for Crime and Justice International, published by the Office
of International Criminal Justice in cooperation with the
Criminal Justice Center at SHSU.
In addition to working with the State Department, Serio schedules
training sessions and works with the Sam Houston State faculty
and staff who travel to Roswell to teach. He also prepares
briefing papers for the American staff at the facility in
Roswell so that they will be familiar with the cultural background
of the foreign law enforcement officials when they come to
the academy.
The training sessions last for a month. In addition to the
classroom experience, the students participate in an opening
ceremony, a graduation ceremony, and several intercultural
activities.
"This program benefits our people as well as those
law enforcement officers from the other countries," said
Serio.
"In a program like this, the professors very frequently
will go to Roswell, make their presentations, interact with
the students, then bring their experiences back to the classroom
at Sam Houston State," said Serio.
-END-
Media Contact: Julia May
September 24, 2003
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.
|
