Introduction to Public Service:

This should be taken in the first year of the Public Service Law Enforcement pathway.  This course is designed to educate students on the different career choices available to them in public service.  The course provides a broad overview of the public service profession and introduces the basics of law enforcement concepts.  The areas covered include: 

•  Introduction to careers in law enforcement

• Ethics in law enforcement

• Local, state, and federal law enforcement and corrections

• Introduction to careers in the military

• Careers in 911 dispatch

• Careers in Loss Prevention

• Careers in Animal Services

• Careers in Probation

• Introduce portfolios

• Private and corporate security

• OSHA 10-hour Public Service Law Enforcement Certification

• CPR/BLS Certification

Criminal Investigations

This should be the student's second year in the Public Service pathway.  The Criminal Investigations course introduces students to essential concepts, principles, and procedures of public service agencies. The course is designed to provide students with an understanding of how to prepare for a career in law enforcement, enforcement concepts, communication, ethical considerations of interacting with the public, the interaction of various national agencies, and emergency response. The course involves substantial reading and writing. Students will have various opportunities to interact/work with law enforcement professionals.  This course is more hands-on when students enter the second semester with crime scene investigations.  The course covers the following topics:

•  Law Enforcement Skills

• Attention to detail

• Crime Scene Investigations

• Arrest through Prosecution

• Evidence Collection

• Interview and Interrogation

• Fingerprinting

• Report Writing

• Criminal Law

• Community Policing

• Drone Technologies

• Patrol Procedures

Criminal Justice

This is the Capstone course for the Public Service pathway.  Students who complete this course receive college credit for Crim 2 and Crim 3 through Merced Junior College.  The course teaches students about legal concepts and the historical foundation of law enforcement.  Students also learn about a global perspective of law enforcement.  Students explore civil and human rights issues with a strong emphasis on understanding the constitutional authority of law enforcement officers and the rights provided to citizens.  The course covers the following topics:

• Dual Enrollment with Merced JC for Crim 2 and Crim 3

• The Bill of Rights

• History of law enforcement

• Criminal Proceedings

• Incident Command System

• History of Corrections

• Amendments and Law Enforcement

• Global Policing Strategies

• How the Criminal Justice System works

• Crime and Consequences

• The Future of CJ in the United States

• Law Enforcement Interviews

• Portfolios

• Pellet B

• ICS 100 and 200 Certifications

Below are some examples of students work from each course in the Public Service pathway