Each Tuesday, aspiring law enforcement officers meet in Curtiss 0105 hoping to learn more about the world of crime they are ready to sign up for. 

On Nov. 28, the Criminal Justice Club held its last meeting of the semester where invited guest Lieutenant Elliott Florer of the ISU PD spoke about the perks of being a well-rounded and educated person entering the police force.

Having an invited speaker is typical for the meetings giving the students a chance to learn about the career they are entering. Criminal Justice Club is advised by Matthew Delisi, a professor of sociology, and is made up of 129 student members—78 of whom are non-Iowa State students.

Florer spoke about his own experiences about being a officer on a college campus, what it took for him to enter the force and how his experiences growing up helped him be a more beneficial officer.

According to their website, the club is meant “to enhance the knowledge of individuals that are interested in the Criminal Justice system by helping them understand their opportunities and how to be successful in the future.”

Their website describes how regular meetings operate, “Members are introduced to professionals from within the Criminal Justice field and have the opportunity to learn and interact with them in order to enhance their knowledge and success in the future.”

The club also holds special events, the most recent being a trip to Fort Madison, Iowa, to tour the city’s new prison.

This past week, Criminal Justice Club brought in Iowa State Police Department’s Lieutenant Elliot Florer to discuss the role of social media in community policing.

Florer emphasized on the importance of keeping the public engaged through social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, so that they will already have the attention of the community during an emergency that would require mass communication to the public.

Adria Hines, vice president-elect of Criminal Justice Club and a junior double-majoring in criminal justice studies and psychology, found out about the club during ClubFest.

“I mostly wanted to get involved and see what the opportunities out there are for my major,” Hines said. “Criminal Justice Club gives you insight about different job opportunities.”

Carter Hand, president of Criminal Justice Club and a senior doublemajoring in Criminal Justice and Psychology, said he heard about Criminal Justice in his introduction to the U.S. criminal justice system class (CJ ST 240), which is taught by Prof. Delisi.

“One of my buddies sitting next to me in the class told me I should come to the meetings, and that’s how I got into it,” Hand said.

Ethan Lamm, a senior majoring in criminal justice, said his biggest takeaway from Criminal Justice Club was the importance of communication skills in law enforcement.

Lamm said, “You need to be able to talk to people. You need to have great communication skills and be open minded. Don’t judge someone right away from what they’ve done.”

The Criminal Justice Club meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in Curtiss 0105.