Current Event Reviews – You will have the opportunity to complete four Current Event Reviews
demonstrating your ability to critically analyze current events in policing/law enforcement. The current
event MUST have occurred within the last month of each journal entry’s due date and MUST be
documented in some way that I can review at a later date. Examples of documented events include those
that can be found in/on websites, books, newspapers, magazines, or video clips. Each review should
include five sections (separated by paragraph):
1) Briefly summarize what occurred and include access HERE (e.g., website address).
2) Briefly discuss how the incident is representative of a broader policing/law enforcement issue.
If it is not representative of a broader issue, you should pick a different event which is.
3) Discuss how the details of the event compare to what you have learned about in class. Be sure
to directly and explicitly connect specific details from the current event to specific learning
materials from class (e.g., Chapter 3). The more connections you make, the better your grade.
4) Discuss how & why the police AND the public may have differing perspectives about the event.
Be sure to objectively review BOTH perspectives in detail. If both sides share the same
perspective, then the event IS NOT an issue and you should pick a different event which is.
5) Briefly discuss at least one way in which the issue from your current event could be addressed
via official law/practice/policy.
Each Review should be 2-3 typed pages (double-spaced, normal fonts, sizes, etc.). Reviews must be
submitted via Canvas as MS Word or PDF documents ONLY and are due by the EoD of the assigned due
date (see the Tentative Course Schedule below). You may drop your lowest Review entry grade (i.e.,
only three of the four opportunities will count toward your final course grade). More on the Review
requirements will be covered in class. Review grades will be posted in your Canvas Grade Center within
two weeks of each due date