For students in the Advanced Law Enforcement and Investigations program, Applied Community Policing is not just a course – it’s an immersive learning experience.
Now in its seventh year, the School of Justice and Fitness welcomed the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) to the College for the Niagara Regional Police Chief Community Policing Competition and Award Ceremony on December 6.
The competition marked the final stage of a project that students have worked on for almost two months spearheaded by faculty member Cindy McDonald. Students were divided into five groups and assigned a community within the Niagara region – each one facing different issues. Teams were tasked with scanning the neighbourhood in their assigned community, analyzing problems to determine what the underlying causes are, creating a response to deal with the problem, and developing an assessment plan to ensure the responses are effective.
Faculty and competition participants pose with panel of judges following the competition.
Out of the five groups, the top three were chosen to present at the competition in front of a panel consisting of associate dean Sandro D’Annunzio, NRPS inspector Shawn Dowd, crown attorney Andrew Brown, and police chief Bryan MacCulloch. The winning team, Project STOP, was assigned the city of Niagara Falls and addressed the increasing problem of car thefts in the hotel district , as well as how to educate tourists on protecting themselves from theft.
Students Chris Arsenault and Jordan Hagopian, who were on the winning team, were proud and excited that all of their hard work paid off.
“We both came from highly intensive research backgrounds in university and I’d say that we’ve had to work just as hard, if not harder, in this program so far,” said Hagopian.
“The hands-on experiences and skills I’ve gained have really enhanced my learning. This program is truly high-calibre,” said Arsenault.
Chief MacCulloch has been a judge at the competition for the last three years and values the partnership the NRPS has with the College. He noted that events like this are great from a recruitment perspective. The NRPS is looking to hire as many as 60 police officers in 2020, and this competition gives them an inside look into the talent pool of aspiring law enforcement professionals.
“This competition is a great way for us to stay connected with NC and see the latest techniques and strategies being taught,” said MacCulloch. “Students are coming up with innovative strategies and solutions to problems that are complex to address, and each year the presentations get better and better.”
