Law Enforcement

The purpose of the Administration of Justice program is to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the field of law enforcement, corrections, special investigations, and other public safety related fields.

The program offers Associate Degrees, Academies, and Continuing Education/Professional Development courses. The program serves students pursuing a transfer degree, students seeking entry level employment following completion of a state certified academy, and students currently employed who need additional training to stay current and to qualify for promotional opportunities in their field of employment.

The Administration of Justice Program operates with the cooperation and participation of local criminal justice agencies. All instructors in the program have experience in the criminal justice field. The instructors and staff are committed to preparing students for academic success and providing relevant training and education for students and employers in the community.

For the most part, program academies and certified courses are required by state law for entry-level employment in law enforcement, corrections, and public safety related fields. The AJ program fills an essential training need in maintaining a professional partnership with state agencies such as the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and the Board of State and Community Corrections. (BSCC - STC) In addition to the mandated entry level training certifications, the State of California also requires regular updated or professional development/in-service training for employees working in the public safety sector.

Students who complete this program should be able to:

1. Effectively use language and non-verbal communication appropriate for application in the Criminal Justice System through classroom discussion, exercises and written assignments.
2. Demonstrate respect and acceptance for differing opinions, feelings, and values of others through the development of listening skills that promote ethical and equitable application of Criminal Law.
3. Identify and apply the key elements for developing trust between community partners, including: truth, respect, understanding, support, and teamwork.
4. Articulate the differences between the major criminilogical theories of the causes of crime and how those theories relate to policies toward crime and criminal behavior.
5. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the criminal justice process; the sequential order of criminal proceedings, and the role of each subsystem within the criminal justice system.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the American Criminal Justice system and the scope of responsibilities of the various local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
7. Recognize criminal behavior and be able to identify and apply the appropriate legal statutes, demonstrating sound judgment based upon a deductive and/or inductive analysis.
8. Describe the systems responsibilities to the community, factors in crime causation, the social implications of crime and communication barriers between the system and the community.
9. Demonstrate knowledge of the rules of evidence, legal definitions, and concepts of evidentiary law; apply basic investigative proficiencies.
10. Analyze and interpret relevant legal issues as outlined in published judicial opinions and Constitutional Law; identifying the main issue(s) and determining the effect of the courts ruling on the admissibility of evidence.
11. Understand the concepts of equity, diversity, inclusion as they apply to the criminal justice system.

Required courses

Students earning an AA/AS degree must complete a minimum of 21 units of General Education requirements and the health graduation requirement, in addition to the program units listed here. Students must complete a total of 60 degree applicable units to earn an AA or AS. Please see your counselor for additional graduation information.