Criminal Justice – Policing

Experience the realism of the job

Crashed cars, stab wounds, victims on the ground, blood and chaos – you’ll experience it all on the job, so why not experience it during your education?

Adding a level of realism to our students’ learning that simply cannot be accomplished in the classroom, we stage a mock disaster every spring. Students have to respond to an unknown situation in real-time, just as they would on the job as first responders, emergency personnel, nurses and members of the media.

Whether they’re facing a car crash, a stabbing or any of the other scenarios our instructors come up with, students have to think on their feet and respond to the situation as they’ve been trained, working cooperatively with others in related professions. It’s an experience that puts everything learned in the classroom to the ultimate test. And it’s an experience students won’t soon forget.

Order in the classroom

Despite what movies and TV shows might lead you to believe, a career in justice isn’t all about action. You need to understand the challenging moments of the job: what it’s like to handle evidence, how best to recount your interviews and investigation for a judge, and what it’s like to notify next of kin. Our program teaches all that and more with simulated settings on campus that prepare you for the environments and the scenarios you’ll encounter on the job.

The courtroom

At the end of a winding walk through the Andrews’ wing, there’s a room on campus that most are surprised to find. On one side, it’s a traditional classroom with desks and whiteboards. On the other side? A realistic courtroom complete with wood-paneled walls, a well-worn Bible, leather-lined tables and podiums for the prosecutor and defense. All these furnishings were donated by a Calgary courthouse, providing students with an authentic courtroom.

Here, you’ll be able to experience the roles of lawyer, accused, witness and police officer while an instructor sits as judge. You’ll feel the stress and tension of the courtroom and you’ll get a sense of what real-world justice is really like.

The crisis lab

On the west end of campus, tucked away among the classrooms of the Andrews building and the Technologies and Trades buildings, you’ll find another simulated space. A small apartment furnished with couches, chairs and a TV might be the scene of a drug bust or domestic violence call.

Here, you’ll face professional actors who set the stage for scenarios you’ll deal with on the job. It’s as close to a real-life experience as you can get. And it will feel real, but it’s all part of the training experience.

Video games in college?

Using video game-like technology, judgment simulators improve your judgment, decision making, communication and observation skills using real-world, real-time scenarios. We’re one of the only post-secondary institutions in western Canada with this type of simulator technology.

The two simulators allow you to experience and respond to nearly 700 different scenarios that range from verbal compliance situations to lethal action outcomes, depending on your program. You could be dealing with an emotionally disturbed individual, a routine traffic stop that reveals a potential poacher, or a highly agitated youth threatening self-harm. The technology is dynamic enough that our instructors can build their own scenarios to meet the individual needs of their courses.

These real-life training scenarios emphasize the importance of improving your knowledge and skills for your chosen career path, giving you immediate feedback that allows you to acknowledge which skills may need a little extra attention. And spending time practicing real-world simulations gives you the tools and knowledge you’ll need to respond to everyday situations that arise once you’re on the job.