August 4, 2015
MARSHALL NEWS MESSENGER (8/1/15) - East Texas Baptist University's four-year criminal justice /law enforcement program is the only of its kind in the state, and several of its students and instructors are headed to the mountains of Colorado this weekend to strengthen their skills.
The university's Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, and Law Enforcement William Griffith is accompanying 11 criminal justice students and two other professors for a nine-day rendezvous in the mountains, beginning today.
"Nine days will be devoted to working on such areas a leadership, personal and team problem solving, physical and mental strength, confidence building and peace officer skills," Griffith said. "All those attending will explore their commitment to becoming Christian servants as professional law enforcement officers to their communities in this time of great need within our society."
Griffith said the trip helps to assure those in the field that they are where they want to be.
"This is our second year to go and I plan to do it every year," Griffith said Wednesday. "Eight of the 11 students are freshmen. I want them to make sure they really understand what goes into being a police officer. We are working on mental, physical and spiritual training. It's a lot of physical work and we'll have two days in the high wilderness camping out."
Griffith said ETBU's program is unique in the way it trains future police officers and in the amount and length of training it requires.
"Our program is four years long where most in the state are two years," Griffith said. "Our program starts as a freshman and works all the four years straight through. Most two-year programs go very fast and have about 640 hours of training. Ours that start as juniors and get their licensing have about 1,800 hours and those that start as freshmen have more than 3,000 hours of training."
Griffith said the university's program is also unique in that it places an emphasis on morality and its graduates leave with a bachelor's degree versus an associate degree. The graduates also choose a minor subject to study in as well.
"We focus on expanding training opportunities. We will be working with the Harrison County Sheriff's Office in the coming year," Griffith said. "We are also faith-based and focus on ethics, morals and people treatment. Ours is a different program."
Griffith said as a former chief of police and now instructor, he often hears of all the recent police involved incidents in the news.
"Either the training is not there, they have minimal training, or they don't have the maturity and character to handle those issues," Griffith said.
He said the four-year program can eliminate those future problems for officers by the extent of training it offers both mentally and physically.
While the students headed to Colorado do not get credit hours for the trip, Griffith said the trip will solidify their dedication to law enforcement.
"This trip to Colorado will make sure they're committed to their training," he said.
The group will return on Aug. 9.
(Used by permission www.marshallnewsmessenger.com, story by Education Reporter Bridget Ortigo.)