Interview with an Individual in a Criminal Justice Field - Essay Example

Interview with an Individual in a Criminal Justice Field al Affiliation Interview with an Individual in a Criminal Justice Field Summary of the Interview On February 26, 2013 one had the opportunity to interview Terry Williams, an HISD officer that is assigned to High School For Performance Visual Art (HSPVA). I choose this individual to be interviewed because I want to work in the criminal field as a Juvenile Probation Officer and I know he been in the field for a while. I chose to do this interview in person because I wanted to see the person that I was interviewing as it would enable me to immediately note the important aspects of what he is relaying and be able to observe his reactions at the same time. The focus on the interview was on police related concerns, specifically how, as police officers, they try to keep the campus safe. According to Officer Williams, they have the 222tip line that helps the police in effectively locating the person that on the verge of committing a crime or someone who was reported to have apparently brought a weapon on campus or is engaging in aggressive behavior such as bullying. Officer Williams was noted to come from Navasota, Texas; but was acknowledged to reside in Houston, Texas. He disclosed that he came to live in Houston, where initially, he said that he worked at an instruction company. After he had a family, he said that he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement through attending the University of Houston Police Academy. He remembered and relayed that he graduated top of class and signified that it was a great day for him. He said that he felt like he can make more money and aptly prepare for the future of his family. Likewise, he also emphasized that he wanted to help others who are in need of any form of assistance. After graduation, he relayed that he decided that he wanted to work for the School District so he can help children in school; especially those who become victims of bullying. Also, through focusing on issues that are related to the behavior of children within the campus, he noted that he could also be of assistance to the ones with behavioral problems and manifestation or tendencies to commit a crime. Officer Williams stated that the numbers of bullying is high in the school district and he keeps trying his very best to make sure that the students understand what can happen when someone is bullied; such as risking injuries that could also lead to physical, emotional and psychological infliction of harm. So he said that he makes sure that he focuses on issues pertaining to bullying with the aim of ultimately minimizing these incidents or ultimately putting a stop to them. Critical Analysis and Reflection of the Interview One’s personal reflection and critical analysis of the interview is that Officer Williams is one among the numbers of law enforcers who keep on trying their best to address various concerns that happen in the school campus. It was commendable on his part to exert serious efforts in trying to prevent bullying in school campus. One found Officer Williams to be a critical thinker and an exemplary law enforcement officer in terms of reportedly finding ways and means to minimize the incidents of bullying in campus. As evident from the interview, he was keen on trying to find symptoms from manifested behavior of students and be able to provide assistance through counseling, mentoring, referring to more authorized child development and behavioral practitioners with the aim of determining the root causes of the aggressive behavior. From the information that Officer William relayed, it was perceived that the problem of bullying was his primary concern given the varied serious consequences and effects to the victim and to the other members of the educational community. One was really grateful that he is pursuing the issues and getting the support from faculty members and the academic staff to be actively involved in the process. Likewise, in the light of recent publicities of increased incidents being reported of people being able to bring in guns and deadly weapons in school campus, all the more he relayed that as law enforcement officers, they are reminded to be more vigilant and be extremely observant of the actions and behaviors of people, who could have tendencies to commit a crime. Critical Research and Vision of Solutions From the results of the interview, one delved into additional research on the subject of bullying and how police officers are actively enjoined to be visible in school campuses to assist in addressing this matter. From the research article written by Sampson (2002), the author disclosed that “the most effective ways to prevent or lessen bullying require school administrators commitment and intensive effort; police interested in increasing school safety can use their influence to encourage schools to address the problem” (Sampson, 2002, par. 2). This therefore corroborates Officer Williams’ genuine interest and thrust in increasing safety through addressing the problem of bullying in the school campus. The article provided insights that validate Officer Williams’ contentions. It was specifically emphasized that “police who work with schools may even find that many of the thefts, assaults and batteries, hate crimes, and threats on school campuses (elementary, middle and high school level) are symptoms of bullying and are perpetrated by a small percentage of chronic tormentors” (Sampson: Understanding Your Local Problem, 2002, par. 1). As such, from among the proposed solutions noted, it was revealed that there were general requirements that would assist in countering bullying in school, such as: (1) enjoining the full and comprehensive support of the principal; and (2) being able to apply a multi-faceted, as well as a comprehensive approach (Sampson, 2002). There were detailed enumerated guidelines for the multi-faceted and comprehensive approach to counter bullying which includes facets such as: designing schoolwide policies to address bullying; provision of clear guidelines to all members of the academic community; inviting parents to form a strong part in trying to understand the dilemma; forming strategies to address bullying with an integrated solutions approach from parents; encourage students to report bullying incidents; as well as monitoring the effect of addressing bullying in the school campus; among others (Sampson, 2002). Overall, it is an unfortunate condition that bullying continues to pervade school campuses at alarming statistics until contemporary times. A research on the subject revealed that “30% of U.S. students in grades six through ten are involved in moderate or frequent bullying - as bullies, as victims, or as both - according to the results of the first national school bullying statistics and cyberbullying statistics survey on this subject” (Ambassadors 4 Kids Club, 2013, par. 1). It is no wonder that Officer Williams has remained steadfast in focusing on addressing this dilemma. As a result of continued incidents of aggressive behavior and bullying, most of the students in campus reportely perceive that their schools are not a safe place to be in (Ambassadors 4 Kids Club, 2013). The role and responsibilities of police officers in addressing violence and related criminal incidents in schools, including bullying should be intensified to make the school environment and the nearby local community more safe and secure. Therefore, police officers such as Officer Williams is working hard to collaborate with members of the academic environment which includes parents and community members to follow the recommended strategies and together, aim to ultimately prevent bullying in the near future. References Ambassadors 4 Kids Club. (2013, February 28). Bullying Statistics. Retrieved from a4kclub.org: http://www.a4kclub.org/get-the-facts/bullying-statistics Sampson, R. (2002). Bullying in Schools. Retrieved from popcenter.org: http://www.popcenter.org/problems/bullying/print/ Read More