Ever since the media started spreading awareness about police brutality, Ferris’ Academy has been trying to combat this issue.
Last semester, the Ferris Criminal Justice Academy implemented changes that benefit the overall turnout rate of the Academy and better prepare students for the situations they will encounter in the field.
Criminal justice assistant professor Michael Bomay spoke about the current state of the criminal justice program.
part of the police academy. Photo courtesy of Loren Jessop/Ferriscope
“I’ve noticed the university has a reduction of Academy recruits. Our numbers have gone down, and a lot of that can be from world events,” Bomay said. “Social media and media in general [show] a negative portrayal of law enforcement, [because of this] some of [the] challenges I think our university has is there’s a lot of regional academies that you can pay out of pocket to go to with no education other than a high school diploma.”
Since graduating from Ferris in 1993, Bomay has sought more experience and learning opportunities. Eventually, he decided to return to Ferris to get his master’s degree and was offered a teaching position.
Unsure of what he had to contribute to the program, he hesitated.
“I started flipping through the [course] book and in every chapter I had experienced something good and bad. I [realized] I could share [experiences that were] positive and other decisions I wish I could have done differently,” Bomay said.
With more perspective and open conversation being brought to the program over the years, the overall exposure and learning have changed for students as well.
Criminal justice sophomore Charlie Smith has noticed how Ferris is trying to create a better image for the criminal justice program.
“In my classes, there’s a lot of diversity and we [have] a lot of discussion where you’re [going to] hear everyone’s side. [There’s] a lot of different perspectives especially because they want to prep you for all the different perspectives you’ll be dealing with in the field,” Smith said. “It [gives] more awareness.”
Interested in the criminal justice program offered at Ferris, Smith knew he was where he wanted to be. He hoped to attend Ferris for the learning opportunities and the Academy because he felt it had more to offer than a traditional academy.
Smith noted while he appreciates and understands the importance of perspective, he is worried about the academy changes, especially the reduced hours of experience that the Academy has recently introduced.
“Does less experience [mean] we’re not getting the same out of our academy that previous classes [did],” Smith said.
With the number of required hours cut, he is scared of the changes. Since he chose Ferris specifically for the experience the Academy has to offer, he is hoping that the changes won’t mean he gets less out of the Academy. He understands the reasoning for the changes, especially because mental health and burnout have become so prominent in the criminal justice track.
“The graduating class keeps getting smaller for the academy so [I see] why they are trying to change things,” Smith said. “[The program] won’t be as stressful so more people will pass the academy.”
Director of the School of Criminal Justice Dr. Steven Amey said that the new changes within the academy are directly related to the new expectations for Michigan police officers to focus more on the mental health of officers.
Michigan has now stated that all criminal justice schools must have training faculties in behavioral and mental health.
“We have Dr. Mike Mendenhall, who went through and was the first one in the university to have that training,” Amey said.
Focusing on mental health, high-stress situations and quick decision-making is the new direction of the program.
“This career right now is a difficult place to fill, not just as Ferris State or Michigan. It is a universal [trend] across the whole United States,” Amey said. “I’m hoping that changes.”
The criminal justice program hopes that these changes will positively reflect the Academy. Overall, the Academy aims to help reduce the number of students dropping out of the program and help with the number of admissions.