What I Have Learned From Law Enforcement

Throughout my educational journey, my interest and attention was always captivated by classes which had even the slightest tendency towards Forensic Psychology. Yet, my passion remained unconscious until I took a class of Criminal Law in Business, class which seemed to hold the answer for the consuming question “What am I going to study at University?” From there, I began putting the puzzle pieces together, determined to find the source of the spark- Law, Criminology, Forensic Science all seemed to bring me closer to the right one for me: Forensic Psychology. Reading the first few lines of the field description was enough to assure me that there is no other subject could fascinate, intrigue and motivate me to give by best to apart from this. I became infatuated with the evidence that evil in a human being can be so incandescent, transparent and mischievous that it could bring down any barrier of normality. I became absorbed by its power to grow into the mind and punish the

The understanding of those barriers to which prevent information from being received can allow for better communication throughout the department.

Following directions is one of the most important skills in life. The ability to follow direction the way you are told and the way it is suppose to be done is a recipe for success. Following directions helps avoid preventable mistakes that may cause costly mistakes and as it pertains to law enforcement, someone’s life. Making sure you are paying attention to instruction is critical, and nowhere is this truer than in the workplace. Always follow steps carefully, know what you are supposed to do and when you are supposed to do it. In regards to law enforcement following directions is crucial to the safety of yourself and to others whether it be, firearms, officer survival, enforcing the law, or just contacting a citizen.

In recent years, Forensic Psychology has grown to be a very fascinating and popular sub discipline of psychology. If you are a frequent watcher of television programs like; CSI, Criminal Minds, Cracker or Law and Order, you perhaps think you have the ideal perception of who a forensic psychologists is and what their job description entails based on these shows. Well, you might just need to double take. Maybe you have acquired a trick or two on how to mask or disguise crimes that you have committed or will commit, but for the greater part, you may have some huge misconceptions about Forensic psychologists. The reality is that these television programs are idealistic and the truth about these individuals is much more complex and challenging.

In order to apply the understandings of Industrial and Organization Psychology within the workplace, I interviewed retired police officer Jasmine Bird and her position in the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) as an officer of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). She was chosen for the interview because she is a 15 year veteran with massive experience within the department. The NYPD is the biggest department in the country with over 35 thousand officers. Officers are trained paramilitary, meaning they adhere to the rules and regulations as that of the military. They are trained in all aspects such as combat, shooting, verbal judo, sensitivity training and operating weapons of mass destruction. Within the first years on the job, you start

In order to effectively work in this area, Forensic psychologists must know the court’s expectations.They must be credible, competent, and concise being able to explain to the court how they arrived at their

While working or while looking for work there are certain skills sets that are universally important. No matter what job or career path you have chosen these skills make it easier to obtain your goals, whatever they may be.

As law enforcement officers develop “working personality” as an occupational exercise, over time it becomes a habit displayed equally during work and off duty, which leads to becoming continuously suspicious of their surroundings, violating civilians constitutional rights, using excessive force, and acts of mayhem. The following are examples of when law enforcement officers “working personality” progresses into to their personal lives as illustrated in the articles below:

When thinking about a career path after conducting my research in the various fields available in the area of psychology, I have taken an interest in becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist. This is partly due to my exposure to working alongside with clinicians in community based settings, particularly family’s that have been affected one way or another by county systems such as the Department of Children and Family Services and Department of Probation. After attaining direct experience working with families, I am interested in working in upper management supervising other clinicians, offering support and guidance with regards to their families. I have some interest in forensic psychology but have not obtained enough information on the field in order to determine if it is area that I would like to pursue.

Although all employees should be assets to their organization, certain employees, because of their respective strengths and talents, may be better suited for certain tasks. In the organization I where I work, the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office, there are several individuals who would be both happier and better suited for different areas of criminal investigations. Several problems persist within the organization that prevent both the agency and the individuals employed by it from achieving their full potential. While there are a host of departments within my organization, the focus of this essay will be on the Criminal Investigations Division in which I work. I will also include a few thoughts on the administrative structure of my department, address some of its problems and offer my own solutions for overcoming these

As a child, if you asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, and I answered a lawyer undoubtingly. Once my parents denied signing any of my financial aid forms for school, all of my optimism for that dream went downhill. One thing that has always been consistent is my love for fighting for what is right for the people. My passion for the law and people aided my decision to join the military. Upon my retirement from the military, I was compelled to enroll in the Criminal Justice program at Saint Leo University. After attending a few courses, I deliberated on becoming a forensic psychologist. I believed that becoming a forensic psychologist would allow me to be involved in legal cases while being the eyes and the ears of the courtroom. As time went on I pondered, if I would be helping people or the court system. Now, my interest in the subfields of psychology lies between forensics and counseling. I am not as knowledgeable in either area, so I plan on taking a course in each class to see what feels right. Being in the military all these years, have made me desire to do what my instincts say I was born to do.

Psychology has always fascinated me, learning about classical conditioning (Ivan Pavlov), personality the id, ego, and superego (Sigmund Freud), were all interesting subjects in my high school introduction to psychology class. This subject was very interesting that it planted a desire that I had never forgotten, the desire of wanting to be a psychologist. The dysfunctional home environment in which I grew up also played a role in my decision. Although, I presently I hold a BA in Information Systems, I decided to return to school for my masters in psychology, since it was my first love. Choosing clinical psychology with a specialization in forensic was an easy decision, I love psychology and learning about the law of our country and the United Kingdom. One of my favorite past times is watching television shows old and new alike, such as Perry Mason, The Good Wife on CBS, Law and Order/Special Victim Unit on NBC, and Damages on Netflix. Television shows in the United States and the United Kingdom are not my only pass time, I love to cook, growing up in a Jamaican household undoubtedly allowed me the ability to learn to cook, some of their main dishes such as ackee and salt/cod fish, escovitch fish, curry chicken and much more. My mother also taught me to cook Italian dishes, and within the last three years I’ve learned to bake challah bread. The field of psychology is important to because I hope to comprehend violence

As field, psychology was born of ancient philosophy and philosophers, and began to take root and grow in the 19th century (Candalis &Neal, 2014, p. 20). Psychologists started working with, and within, the courts in the early 1900’s (DeMatteo, Krauss, Marczyk & Burl, 2009, p. 185), however, the first big strides for forensic psychology were not made until 1954,

Forensic (criminal) psychology is a job field that deals with both psychology and law. The field has experienced dramatic growth in recent years due to the role of popular movies, television programs and books popularizing the field. Often these individuals are depicted as vivid components in solving vicious crimes or timing out a criminal’s next home. While these depictions of certainly entertaining, yet these portrayals are not necessarily precise. Forensic psychologists play an instrumental role in the criminal justice system while applying psychological principles to the legal system. The crossover of the two spheres is best decided in the Encyclopedia of Psychology,

Everyone has a certain skill that they may be strong or weak at in both school or in work. There are skills required in order to create an efficient working environment. However, every person generally has a flaw or a skill that they are efficient in, which may reflect their career readiness. Despite everyone's flaw, throughout our life, we can be able to improve through experience. As for myself, I consider myself confident in managing multiple task and valuing work, but I need to improve my communication skills.