Cover Photo: From Left: Dennis Giever, NMSU criminal justice professor and department head; Xochitl Jimenez, NMSU criminal justice student; Troy Weisler, Chief of the New Mexico State Police; NM State Police Sgt. Eric Vasquez, NM State Police Officer Harold Pozas and NM State Police Recruiting Captain Jacob Garcia. (NMSU Photo by Josh Bachman)
Source: NMSU Newsroom
A partnership between New Mexico State University’s Department of Criminal Justice and New Mexico State Police (NMSP) will help students to complete their bachelor’s degree and become commissioned police officers faster.
The idea evolved when NMSP Chief Troy Weisler, an NMSU alumnus, and Dennis Giever, NMSU criminal justice professor and department head, came together to discuss police recruitment opportunities. For Giever and Weisler, the partnership is a win-win.
“This is what the future of academics is going to look like, which is partnerships with industry and different kinds of organizations,” Giever said. “We’re talking about criminal justice system and organizations related to that, but I mean other areas like computer science, for example, creating partnerships with national labs. They also are building pipelines with industries that are expecting particular skills. It helps our students get a leg in the door for an actual job.”
Before the NMSP partnership, students earning a criminal justice bachelor’s degree then had to apply for the NMSP Academy and spend 5 months in the academy before landing a job. NMSU criminal justice students now can get hands-on law enforcement experience by completing the academy while earning the final 15 credit hours of their bachelor’s degree – and get paid to do it.
Acceptance into the NMSP Academy requires students to pass a competitive application process, followed by a 20-week NMSP recruit academy. Upon successfully completing the program, students will meet the final requirements for their criminal justice degree and be commissioned as New Mexico State Police officers.
“The partnership between the New Mexico State Police and NMSU’s Criminal Justice Department offers a unique and invaluable opportunity for students,” Weisler said. “By integrating rigorous academic instruction with the practical experience gained through our academy, students are well-prepared to embark on rewarding careers with New Mexico’s premier law enforcement agency. This pathway not only enriches their education but also empowers them to make a meaningful impact in their communities as commissioned officers.”
Giever says NMSU’s criminal justice program can accommodate the influx of students through NMSU Global Campus hiring 30% more criminal justice faculty. NMSU’s online criminal justice program is ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the best online criminal justice programs in the country.
“We’ve got outstanding faculty,” Giever said. “And an important thing to remember is that our online program and our on-campus program are the same. So many other programs around the country have an online program that’s completely separated from their main campus. At NMSU, we have the same faculty teaching both on our main campus and online. So, our students get the same program, they get the same materials, they get the same rigor.”
Marija Dimitrijevic, NMSU criminal justice college associate professor, estimates that half of her students are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement. By next year, she hopes to see a number of her students interested in this partnership.
“My students are always asking for the real-world application of what they’re learning,” said Dimitrijevic. The State Police partnership aligns with our department’s commitment to provide students with this real-world learning that also allows them to graduate and get a law enforcement job right away.”
Weisler is eager to establish a solid pipeline of NMSU students to gain careers in NMSP. “As an NMSU Criminal Justice program graduate myself, I can vouch for the high-quality instruction provided by NMSU educators,” Weisler said. “By combining their classroom knowledge with the practical experience gained in our academy, students can set themselves up for a rewarding career with New Mexico’s elite law enforcement agency, the New Mexico State Police.”
Giever, who started the department’s partnership with the Tulsa Police Department earlier this year, explained he is also in the process of creating a partnership with the Las Cruces Police Department, whose chief Jeremy Story is also an NMSU alumnus.
“We’re still one of the largest programs on campus,” Giever said. “We’ve got close to 700 majors. Not all of them are going to become police officers, but a career in law enforcement is probably the most popular choice for our students. The reality is police departments everywhere need sworn peace officers. Our program can fill those needs with well-trained, college-educated graduates.”
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