Date of Award
2001
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Dr. Linda M. Howard
Committee Member
Dr. John A. Morgan, Jfr.
Committee Member
Dr. Richard Hoehlein
Keywords
budgeting, committee recommendations, computer-related crimes, corruption, course development, coursework expansion, criteria, development methodology, dissemination, economic crime, evaluation, Forensic Science Associates, forensic science, formative committee, funding, implementation, international law enforcement, international police, intranet, literature review, marketing, money laundering, needs analysis, organizational crime, organizational planning, plan development, police education, president, program director, program evaluation, replication, research findings, research questions, staffing, summative committee, timeline, training needs, training plan, transnational organized crime, validation, Virginia law enforcement training school
Abstract
Forensic Science Associates (FSA) is a Virginia law enforcement training school. The problem is that FSA wishes to expand! the scope of its operation and! sees opportunities in training international police. Currently it does not have a program for such training. The purpose of this project was to develop a plan to offer courses designed to be attractive, useful, and contemporary, to train international police educators at FSA.
There were four research questions for this project First, "What are the training needs of international law enforcement agencies that FSA could provide for effectively?" Second, "What are the appropriate elements to be covered in a training plan for this constituency?" Third, "How might this plan be implemented!?" and lastly, "How might this plan be evaluated?"
This project used the development methodology and included thirteen procedures. A literature review was conducted and design resource materials obtained. Formative and summative committees were impaneled. A needs analysis instrument was developed, validated, and! administered to members of the international police community. Criteria were established and a draft plan developed. The plan focused on the nature and significance of the problem and research findings were set forth to show cause for the plan development. Subsequent sections addressed organizational steps essential to development, implementation and evaluation processes. After committee approval, the plan was presented to the president of FSA.
Results revealed that six top areas of need for training include Forensic Science/Police Lab Services, Preventing and Controlling Money Laundering, Corruption and Economic Crime, Trans-National Organized Crime, Trafficking in mega Drugs, and Computer Related Crimes. In addition to utilizing existent FSA courses, it was determined that a course in economic crime be developed. With regard to plan implementation, it would be essential that staffing and equipment considerations be addressed. An integral part of the process of implementation would necessarily focus on matters of budgeting and marketing, for which a timeline would need to be established. Another important aspect of the program would provide for ongoing evaluation.
Committee recommendations included observations centering on implementation, funding, and marketing of the plan. The employment of a full time lP'rogram Director was believed to be imperative. Recommendations for future research included the possible replication of the study to determine if the terrorist attacks of September l I, 200 l changed perceived needs, and also to provide for monitoring developing needs. Further, the need to review training plans of similar institutions seemed important. Also, a recommendation was set forth to consider offering of training to a smaller target audience with a corresponding coursework expansion. It was further suggested that the plan be published on FSA' s Intranet and hard copies be disseminated to appropriate personnel.