Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for CJA 228 archive revision 201403

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Effective Term:
Summer 2014 through Summer 2016

Course Number:
CJA 228
Course Title:
Organized Crime and Terrorism
Credit Hours:
3
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Provides information on organized crime, its development, growth and impact on society and criminal justice processes. Includes crime families, terrorists, gangs and fringe groups with criminal intentions, their detection, investigation and combat. Audit available.

Addendum to Course Description

This course will offer students an opportunity learn about the origins and development of various crime families, terrorists, gangs and other fringe groups that commit crimes or have criminal intentions, how they affect society and the criminal justice processes as opposed to street crime, and how the various law enforcement and criminal justice components detect, investigate and combat these groups. Criteria will include information on groups that act locally, nationally and internationally.

The material in this course will be presented in lecture and discussion format. Other educational methods, including guest speakers or presenters, research papers, films and videos, field trips, small group projects, and community-based (service learning) out-of-classroom experience, may be employed. Readings from books, journals and periodicals pertaining to organized crime may be used.

Intended Outcomes for the course

  • Describe the history and development of organized crime.
  • Describe how organized crime affects society and the criminal justice processes, especially as opposed to street crime.
  • Describe the methods used by various law enforcement and criminal justice components to detect, investigate and combat organized crime and its consequences.
  • Identify the various organized families, terrorist, gangs and other fringe groups that operate with criminal intent.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

Student’s progress will be evaluated and criteria for assigning a course grade by the following tools: assignments, chapter questions and discussion, special interest paper or debate, participation in group and class discussion, thirty-five motivating activities, attendance and final exam.

Examinations, projects

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

  • The organization of criminal activity.
  • Defining and examining various organized criminal groups.
  • Methodology of criminal enterprises.
  • Theories of terrorists and terrorism.
  • Means of establishing power bases.
  • Gang mentality and organization.
  • Explosive devices and various weapons
  • Enforcement strategies
  • Impact on CJ system and society.