A Security Technology Minor

George Alexander
nmsuet@nmsu.edu
and
Dennis Giever
dgiever@nmsu.edu
New Mexico State University

Abstract

A new and emerging challenge confronts our criminal justice system as a result of recent acts of domestic terrorism in Oklahoma City and Atlanta. Our criminal justice system faces the unprecedented challenge of a criminal that is highly organized, technically capable, and well informed. For example, one who is criminally inclined may obtain information over the Internet on bomb making; criminal groups may coordinate their activities through secure public communications; and mobile navigation systems may assist a criminal to escape the crime scene by the most secure route. The public is becoming increasingly frustrated with the criminal justice system and the handling of such high profile crimes.

Law enforcement also faces a new class of computer criminals ranging from the computer hacker who is merely playing a prank, to those who gain access to sensitive files on secure government computer systems. As it was 100 years ago, law enforcement is still essentially about person-to-person interaction. The difference today is that law enforcement personnel must become more technically savvy in their efforts to deal with the emerging crime problem. Effective law enforcement no longer simply requires the watchful eye of a peace officer. Today officers must possess the ability and expertise to deal with the technological changes that are taking place in all aspects of our daily lives.

The Southwest Surety Institute was formed in June of 1996 by bringing together personnel from New Mexico State University (NMSU), New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Arizona State University and Sandia National Laboratories. The mission of the institute is to develop educational programs in Security Technology and Surety and to conduct research and development in various security technologies. Surety is defined as confidence that systems will behave in acceptable ways in both expected and unexpected circumstances. Generally, surety is achieved through the balanced implementation of attributes such as safety, security, and reliability. By combining the strengths of the Institute members with a single vision and integrated activity, the Institute can have an unprecedented impact on improving the effectiveness of law enforcement in the 21^st century. The Southwest Surety Institute was founded on four pillars: surety education, research, development, and application. These basic tenants form the foundation of a comprehensive, scientific approach to the analysis, evaluation, and dissemination of technology and technical expertise relevant to the fields of law enforcement, fire, safety and security. This paper focuses on the Institute’s pillar of education. The Departments of Engineering Technology and Criminal Justice at New Mexico State University are offering an academic minor in Security Technology beginning with the spring semester of 1997. The following discussion details a brief history of the departments involved in this unique program and outlines the design, objectives, and course content that defines the Security Technology minor.

NMSU Department of Criminal Justice

The Department of Criminal Justice at New Mexico State University was established in 1962 as the Department of Police Science. The early goal of the program was to prepare students for careers in law enforcement and the course curriculum was applied in nature, with students learning a myriad of useful hands-on skills such as finger printing, crime scene investigation, and ballistics.

The focus shifted during the early 1980’s, and the name of the program was changed to Criminal Justice. The curriculum was adjusted to conform to the existing national trends in criminal justice education. By definition, criminal justice is an interdisciplinary field of study that involves those aspects of the natural, behavioral, and social sciences related to the understanding of crime and the administration of justice. The curriculum introduces students to the legal and theoretical foundations of the criminal justice system, together with the institutions built upon those foundations, including law enforcement, court, and correctional agencies. The department added a master’s degree in criminal justice in 1987. The mission of the masters program is twofold. First, to prepare highly qualified individuals to assume mid-level entry and management positions in public and private criminal justice agencies. Second, to prepare students for additional post-graduate education.

The Criminal Justice faculty members possess a wide range of experiences and academic interests. The eight faculty members have doctoral degrees in areas including Justice Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Social Psychology, Economics and Criminology. One faculty member also possesses a juris doctorate degree in addition to a Ph.D. The faculty has an active research agenda in very diverse areas including analyzing HIV/AID litigation in appellate courts, detailing gangs and gang behavior in southern New Mexico, evaluating correctional management philosophy and practice, studying jail placement and design, analyzing jail deaths, and providing architectural and environmental designs for banks.

The Departments of Criminal Justice and Engineering Technology are similar in many respects. Both departments have over thirty years of experience in providing education and career placement of graduates. In terms of basic missions, both departments place a priority on providing students with a practical, yet theoretically sound, educational experience. Faculty members of both departments bring real-world experience into the classroom through previous work and/or relevant research.

The department offers degree programs in civil, electronics and mechanical engineering technology, with a manufacturing emphasis available for students in the electronics and mechanical programs. Hands-on laboratory experience is an essential component of engineering technology education; and in July of this year, construction will be completed on a $12M facility which will provide the department with 16 undergraduate laboratories including instrumentation and control, microprocessor applications, material science, product design and development, computer simulation, and civil construction and structures laboratories. Approximately half of the 14 faculty members participate in externally funded projects at any given time, including extension education, educational development, and applied research. Current external funding supports applied research or development in the areas of multimedia instruction, fault detection in integrated circuits, and heat transfer.

Combined enrollment in the Departments of Engineering Technology and Criminal Justice exceeds 730 undergraduate majors. About 50 graduate students are pursuing a master’s degree in Criminal Justice.

Security Technology Requirements

The interdisciplinary minor in Security Technology taps into the resources available from both departments. The program required the development of four new courses: the Department of Criminal Justice developed one and three were developed by the Department of Engineering Technology. Separate course requirements were developed for each group of students since Engineering Technology majors and Criminal Justice majors bring different educational backgrounds into the minor program. Students majoring in Engineering Technology take a total of six additional courses for the minor (see Figure 1, below). The curriculum includes "Introduction to Criminal Justice" and three courses selected from a list of upper division courses, most of which add to the students’ knowledge of the criminal justice system. Based on this background and their substantial technical educational experience, Engineering Technology majors are then teamed with Criminal Justice majors in two capstone security technology courses, ET 407 and CJ 412.

Requirements: Minor in Security Technology (Engineering Technology majors)

CJ 101, Introduction to Criminal Justice

Agencies comprising the American criminal justice system. Focus is on the historical development of law enforcement, courts, and corrections, and the modern operation of these agencies.

CJ 412, Introduction to Security Technology and Loss Prevention

Private and public responses to security problems, including employee theft, perimeter security, and domestic or foreign terrorism; reviews related law and management practices. Corequisite: ET 407.

ET 407, Security Technology

The design, analysis, and implementation of security systems and subsystems, including threat detection and response, information and communications security, and physical protection. Corequisite: CJ 412.

CJ 300, Introduction to Criminal Justice Research

Overview and evaluation of criminal justice research. Selection of research topics, methods of data selection and collection, analysis techniques, and presentation of findings.

CJ 321, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence

Principles of criminal investigation and intelligence production; processing cases from complaint through crime scene search; identification and collection of evidence, interviewing and interrogation, and case preparation for courts.

CJ 452, "Upper World" Crime

Corporate crime, white collar crime, and political abuse and corruption; executive and corporate criminal behavior, and violations of the public trust by elected and appointed officials.

CJ 480, Criminal Justice Planning and Crime Analysis

Basic working tools in gathering data for the purpose of developing criminal justice plans and programs. Planning criteria, program implementation strategies, and evaluation requirements.

CHEM 540, Introduction to Explosives

Distance education delivery from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

Students in Criminal Justice are also required to take six courses directly related to the study of security technology (see Figure 2, below). While the Engineering Technology majors are obtaining a background in criminal justice, the Criminal Justice students will be taking a two-semester sequence of courses titled "Principles of Technology." This sequence provides a very practical introduction to areas such as basic digital and analog electronics, communication systems, instrumentation, computer and video technology. With the background provided by this sequence and two courses selected from a list of elective courses, Criminal Justice majors are prepared for the two capstone courses required of all students in the Security Technology Program, ET 407 and CJ 412.

Requirements: Minor in Security Technology (Criminal Justice majors)

CJ 101, Introduction to Criminal Justice

Agencies comprising the American criminal justice system. Focus is on the historical development of law enforcement, courts, and corrections, and the modern operation of these agencies.

CJ 412, Introduction to Security Technology and Loss Prevention

Private and public responses to security problems, including employee theft, perimeter security, and domestic or foreign terrorism; reviews related law and management practices. Corequisite: ET 407.

ET 307, Principles of Technology I

Principles and applications of electrical, mechanical, and computer technology.

ET 357, Principles of Technology II

Principles and applications of electrical, mechanical, and computer technology. A continuation of ET 307.

ET 407, Security Technology

The design, analysis, and implementation of security systems and subsystems, including threat detection and response, information and communications security, and physical protection. Corequisite: CJ 412.

CJ 321, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence

Principles of criminal investigation and intelligence production; processing cases from complaint through crime scene search; identification and collection of evidence, interviewing and interrogation, and case preparation for courts.

CJ 452, "Upper World" Crime

Corporate crime, white collar crime, and political abuse and corruption; executive and corporate criminal behavior, and violations of the public trust by elected and appointed officials.

CJ 480, Criminal Justice Planning and Crime Analysis

Basic working tools in gathering data for the purpose of developing criminal justice plans and programs. Planning criteria, program implementation strategies, and evaluation requirements.

The first required course for the Security Technology minor was developed by Engineering Technology professor Jeff Beasley and was offered during the spring 1997 semester. Twenty Criminal Justice students enrolled in the class. The course, "Introduction to Criminal Justice," was taught by Criminal Justice professor Larry Mays and was transmitted to fifteen employees at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque as part of the cooperative agreement between Institute members. The elective course "Introduction to Explosives," originating from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology at Socorro, was delivered to employees at Sandia National Laboratories. This course should be available to NMSU students pursuing a minor in Security Technology by the spring 1998 semester. The dual capstone courses, ET 407 and CJ 412, are being offered for the first time during the fall 1997 semester, which will allow students currently in the program the opportunity to meet the requirements for the Security Technology minor by December 1997.

Criminal Justice professor Dennis Giever has developed and is teaching the Criminal Justice capstone course. "Security Technology," the Engineering Technology capstone course, is largely based on a course currently taught at Sandia National Laboratories. In 1978, The Department of Energy selected Sandia National Laboratories as the organization to conduct the International Training Course on Physical Protection of Nuclear Facilities and Material. The course developed by Sandia is organized around a three-step process: (1) determine security system objectives, (2) design the system, and (3) analyze and evaluate the system. The course utilizes student teams for many exercises. Although the Sandia course has focused on protecting nuclear facilities and materials, the methodology they have developed applies to physical, personnel, or information security in general. Adjunct professor Mary Lynn Garcia from Sandia is teaching the first offering of the Engineering Technology capstone course on the NMSU campus during the fall 1997 semester. She has previously taught a similar course for the Department of Engineering Technology at Arizona State University.

The design, development and implementation of the minor in Security Technology at New Mexico State University has been made possible by the sharing of expertise and resources between the principle departments and the members of the Southwest Surety Institute. A successful program might lead to the development of a double major program by the Departments of Criminal Justice and Engineering Technology. Future plans of the institute’s participants include research, the development of applications, and training. In addition to those mentioned above, the authors acknowledge the following persons for their direct contributions to the establishment of the NMSU Security Technology Minor: L. Tom Winfree (Professor and Department Head of NMSU’s Criminal Justice Department), Dennis Miyoshi of Sandia National Laboratories, Van Romero of the Energetic Materials Center at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Deans J. Derald Morgan and E. Rene Casillas of the NMSU Colleges of Engineering and Arts & Sciences, respectively.

Career Opportunities for Criminal Justice Graduates