Interpreting Criminal Justice Research Findings

Assignment 1: Interpreting Criminal Justice Research Findings

Dan Darpa, director of homeland security for the City of Centervale, has returned from a recent conference at which one of the presenters referenced a study by Strom, Hollywood, and Pope (2009) that explored how 911 calls might be early indicators of potential terrorist threats. Thinking that this information might have direct relevance to homeland security efforts for Centervale, Darpa has asked for your assistance in finding and interpreting this particular study and other similar research.

1. Access the Strom, Hollywood, and Pope (2009) study from the National Institute of Justice at http://www.nij.gov/journals/263/911-calls.htm and review this specific article.
2. Locate two other similar research sources from either the National Institute of Justice Data Collections or the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Databases.

Submission Details:

By Week 4, Day 3, in a minimum of 300 words, post your responses to the following topics in the Discussion Area.

• What are the key elements from the studies that Darpa must take into account in his role as the director of homeland security for the City of Centervale?
• What recommendations, if any, would you make to Darpa?

Be sure to support your positions with references to the articles you have read.

Be sure to cite the resources you used in the APA style.

By Week 4, Day 7, respond to at least two of your classmates' posts, indicating whether you agree with the recommendations made by your fellow students in terms of their impact on homeland security issues.

Discussion Grading Criteria and Rubric

All discussion assignments in this course will be graded using a rubric. This assignment is worth 40 points. Download the discussion rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.