MSU ACJA Professional Weekend

April 9, 2019

Students from one of the School of Criminal Justice’s student organizations, the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA) hosted a professional weekend trip to Detroit, Michigan on the weekend of April 5-7th.

Ten students made the trip over Friday morning and kicked things off with a tour of Customs and Border Protection’s tunnel and bridge points-of-entry into the United States. Following that, they went to the Detroit federal building and learned the vast array of threats that Homeland Security Investigations target so they can effectively safeguard the United States.

Saturday began with an early tour of the US Coast Guard Sector Detroit Station. Here, they learned the missions of the USCG and the role they play in aiding law enforcement with investigations, search and rescue, security, and emergency management of our international waterways. In the afternoon the Director of Security Operations at the the Detroit Institute of Arts hosted a tour to peer into the details of coordinating security for 8 billion dollars worth of art in a major museum.

To close on Sunday morning, students ventured to Detroit Police Department Headquarters for a thorough tour of Crime Intelligence labs, 911 dispatch, Special Victims Units, and Forensics to showcase the vital role they play and the various assets used to stand vigil over the city of Detroit.

The trip was a very special experience in which everyone grew professionally and friendships were strengthened. Students expanded their understanding of the field, learned about qualities desired in applicants to these agencies, and deepened their connection with other students with a weekend of laughs and warm memories. This is a new tradition ACJA hopes to keep going in further years!

ACJA would like to extend a big thank you to the sponsors of the trip: Michigan State University Federal Credit Union and Mr. Michael Martin of Circadian Risk.

 

Article written by Eric Nesbitt
Photos courtesy of MSU ACJA