Lone Star College-CyFair’s Criminal Justice (CJ) Club won the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Competition at the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice (SWACJ) Annual Meeting again this year.
Not only did LSC-CyFair’s team win, but they were the only 2-year college participating in the competition. Out-scoring four-year universities in this competition not only verifies the scholarly credentials of LSC-CyFair students, but helps to diminish the misconceptions and stigma about community colleges, said Professor Jennifer Bourgeois and CJ Club Advisor.
“My criminal justice students are one of a kind, and their determination for success and hard work never cease to amaze me,” said Professor Bourgeois. “Each of the students who attended SWACJ this year were persistent in their preparation for competition while maintaining their course work and responsibilities in their other classes.”
LSC-CyFair does not offer a Criminal Investigation course, therefore students have to take the initiative and work closely with Professor Bourgeois outside of class and study on their own as a group in order to develop the skills necessary to conduct proper crime scene investigations.
The winning CSI team members, including CSI Team Leader Esveidy Moreno, Quiz Bowl Team Leader Bioleta Reyes, Natalie Viesca, Alan Velazquez and Fernando Hernandez Ramirez, were responsible for photographing, sketching, documenting, and processing a mock crime scene. They were judged on professionalism, accuracy of processing and interpretation, and compliance with recognized standards and protocols.
The students also participated in the Criminal Justice Quiz Bowl and attended several roundtables as well as oral and poster presentations with Professor Bourgeois and Psychology Professor Jason Fernandez. Additionally, Professor Bourgeois presented a paper with Jeslyn Huynh from Texas Southern University titled “Racial Disparity in Houston’s Pretrial Population.”
“My primary commitment to the criminal justice field is to continue to learn, teach and educate others, which is why I am passionate about taking students to professional conferences such as SWACJ,” she said.
The students said they enjoyed the teamwork and hands-on learning experiences, socializing with other universities and discussing their views of the criminal justice system as well as gaining deeper understanding of criminal justice and how extensive and important it is in society.
LSC-CyFair Criminal Justice Department and Club continuously raises awareness about the criminal justice field hosting events such as a Whodunnit Mock Crime Scene and CJ Leadership conference as well as participating in the Clothesline Project for Domestic Violence Awareness.
For information on LSC-CyFair’s Criminal Justice Department, email Professor Bourgeois at Jennifer.W.Bourgeois@LoneStar.edu.
