Criminal Justice and Criminology

Passion for service leads to faculty development role

Associate Professor Melanie Neuilly knows a thing or two about managing personal and professional challenges. When she landed a WSU seed grant that would fund a summer of research in Nice, France, she dreamed of an enriching research experience by day, romantic dinners on café terraces, and strolls on Mediterranean beaches by night. But once […]

Criminal justice, Spanish student selected to carry CAS gonfalon

Outstanding senior in criminal justice and criminology Jordan Sykes will carry the College of Arts and Sciences gonfalon during all three WSU Pullman commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 4, in Beasley Coliseum. “Attending WSU has been the best the decision that I have made in my life, and I am beyond proud to be a […]

Undergraduates’ data analysis, proposals could help reduce impaired driving

When Savanna Obernberger, a junior studying criminal justice, learned that drunk and drug-impaired drivers in the state kill nearly 200 people a year, she wanted to help solve the problem but didn’t know where to start. A few months later, Obernberger and four classmates presented to the state Traffic Safety Commission a set of four […]

Practical solutions to real crime issues

After leading police on a slippery, high-speed chase through snowy Spokane neighborhoods, running red lights and stop signs, driving through a resident’s yard, and slamming his stolen Subaru into a Jeep, a chronic car thief finally was caught, several minutes — and thousands of dollars in property damage — later. Could anything have been done […]

FBI data show positive policing changes after cannabis legalization

WSU researchers have found that marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington has not hurt police effectiveness. In fact, clearance rates for certain crimes have improved. Clearance rates — the number of cases solved, typically by the arrest of a suspect — were falling for violent and property crimes in the two states before they authorized […]

15 CAS students earn leadership, engagement awards

Fifteen undergraduate students plus two faculty and one staff member from across the College of Arts and Sciences were recognized during the 2018 Leadership and Engagement Awards of Distinction ceremony on April 17. Award recipients demonstrate exceptional leadership and service to the university and the community and support the leadership development and engagement of WSU […]

Psychology senior chosen as 2018 WSU Student Employee of the Year

Clerical assistant Jackie Baltazar’s presence in the WSU Dept. of Criminal Justice and Criminology provides a friendly atmosphere to visiting students, and staff rely on her as a trusted employee who strives to help everyone who comes through her door. “I really like this job,” said Baltazar, a two-year employee and senior psychology major from […]

Criminal justice & criminology department newsletter, November 2017

In this latest issue of Criminal Justice News, you’ll find highlights from a productive 2016-17 along with exciting plans for the academic year. Faculty and graduate students continue to collaborate on research with various agencies and organizations. And with more than 900 undergraduates in our program, the department is offering—and filling—more classes than ever before. […]

Criminal Justice Club studies bias, police procedures

The Criminal Justice Club discusses controversial topics of law enforcement procedures and holds workshops and simulations to show different sides of what the media portrays about the system. President Samantha Bill said the more involved one is with learning about crime from a police perspective, the more they can understand how the criminal justice system […]

WSU developing innovative technology to improve policing, public safety

As the nation grapples with policing and security issues, criminal justice experts at WSU are developing innovative technology to improve police–community relations, officer training and public safety. Researchers in the new Complex Social Interaction laboratory at WSU are using body-worn cameras and advanced scientific tools and techniques—such as data analytics, biometrics and machine learning—to examine […]