The Criminal Justice Program at Arapahoe Community College has different qualities that set it apart from other programs. The Department Chair, Terrie Bechdel, explained how the program is unique and continues to develop to meet students’ interests.

Bechdel has multiple years of experience in the criminal justice system. She has been a tax fraud investigator, she has worked with financial crimes and investigations, also at a juvenile detention center. One of her favorite aspects of her job are the interactions with her students, she enjoys seeing them succeed and look to the possibilities in their future careers.

What sets the Criminal Justice Program apart from all the other programs at ACC? According to Bechdel, The Criminal Justice Program has both career and technical options through the Associate of Applied Science Degree and the academic Associate of Arts Transfer Degree, for most programs at ACC, don’t offer both. Bechdel says, “It can be an academic and a practitioner field, and of course we want our students to be well-rounded and be both.”

Anyone that is hired to teach in the program has at least a master’s degree and five years of experience in some aspect of the Criminal Justice System. The teachers within the program seek their students’ success in the classroom, and to thrive in their future careers. As the program develops, the students gain experience from teachers who have the credibility to mentor them.

The Criminal Justice Program teaches students to be aware of their surroundings. Bechdel explained that because of her background in the field she has become more alert and aware, incorporating those skills into her everyday life. Her advice to students is to pick your head up and know where you are and your surroundings.

The Criminal Justice Program has become a strong program for students to learn practical skills, career skills, and awareness skills. The program continues to develop courses to reach students’ interests while allowing them to understand their rights and the justice system.

The program is expanding their courses to reach more individuals who want to work within criminal justice. They recently introduced a Forensic Science pathway through electives, now students can see how forensics are changing. They are working on a Financial Crimes Certificate Program and a Cyber-Crime Certificate. Bechdel explained that the program is looking for ways to bring technology into investigating because technology is the wave of the future.