Homeland Security? Emergency Management?

NY State Police Academy - Albany, NY  Picture from: https://www.troopers.ny.gov/Academy/

    
Criminal Justice is my major, but that is too broad.  I have to decide on a program.  When I was at the NY State Police Academy and we were learning how to write a good report we were told to always make sure the report contained: WHO, WHAT, WHEN and WHERE.  Those were the facts that all reports needed to include, if further inquiry was necessary the Investigator would follow up looking for HOW and maybe WHY.  Throughout my career I always wanted to know WHY.  From the University to the Courts to Probation, I always wanted to know WHY. WHY would someone commit a crime?  WHY would someone take illegal drugs?  WHY would someone join a gang? 
  While I have an interest in many Criminal Justice topics the choice is obvious - Criminology.  Criminology will help me  to see/understand the WHY and if you can find the WHY maybe you can prevent, rehabilitate, change or control. 

  Next decision - which 28 books to read?

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

Criminal Justice Professor - NOT Qualified

Fraternal Order of Court Officers - New York State Courts

The bulk of my work life has been in Law Enforcement and I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice.  My dream was to teach Criminal Justice in retirement, to trade Officer Kim for Professor Kim.  Sometimes dreams don't come true, and for me that has been the case.  Acting on faulty information I relocated to Michigan believing that I was qualified to teach in Community Colleges with my Law Enforcement experience and Bachelors Degree. I would soon find out that a Masters Degree was required, but shame on me for not researching this better before I moved.         
   Wait...someone with NO Law Enforcement experience, but holding a Masters Degree is more qualified to teach Criminal Justice at a Community College than someone with 20 years experience, someone who has attended 2 Academies and who also holds a Bachelors Degree?  Whatever, it is not my call to make.  Would I like to have a Masters Degree?  Hell yeah, I'd even like to have a PhD, but that does not quite fit in with my current finances.  Disappointed I would work at a couple of security jobs, most notably at the Zoo (love those animals) and even did a stint with Probation.  All good, you can always learn something from whatever you do.  
   Living in Michigan we are blessed to have Michigan Works and I routinely attend classes at the Ferndale Career Center.  In a recent class; "Navigating Encore Careers and Mid-Life Career Changes" I was intrigued by a statement that it was thought that reading 28 books on a subject was equal to a Masters Degree.  Now I know that I won't actually get a Masters Degree, but I'm going to do it to prove something to myself and see where this takes me.    

Join me on the journey.  
#MIBP3 

State University of New York Public Safety