1. Review the websites listed below to learn more about future trends in crime and law
enforcement’s response to that crime. Write an essay that predicts the changing nature of
crime and explains effective law enforcement responses to crime in the twenty-first
century. Be sure to include the following information in your essay: (1) What types of
crimes will be the most prevalent?; (2) How will new technologies affect law enforcement
and individual rights?; (3) How will police departments and prosecutorial agencies respond
to new vanguards in criminal justice?; (4) Do traditional notions of “jurisdiction” and
national boundaries hinder the ability to investigate crimes in the new “cyberworld?”; and
(5) Discuss the current trends in both violent crimes and property crimes, and project future
crime trends based on your research and observations.
• http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/itb/it-strategic-plan-2010-2015
• http://www.interpol.int/public/FinancialCrime/IntellectualProperty/Default.asp
• http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/reform/ch1_d.html
• http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/enibrscs.pdf
PART II: COURSE PROJECT: CRIMES AND THEORIES
(Compilation of Modules 1-8)
Directions: This course project will include a written component for each module that will be
turned in at the end of the course in Module 8. Criminology is the study of crime and criminal
behaviors based on theory. Your textbook defines a theory as a series of interrelated
propositions that attempts to describe, explain, predict, and ultimately control some class of
events. A theory gains explanatory power from inherent logical consistency and is “tested” by
how well it describes and predicts reality. To assist you with this project, the textbook defines
theories throughout. The theories associated with criminology can be applied to the crimes we
see committed in the news each week. Thus, this course project will involve locating two crimes
(one in your local or nearly surrounding communities and one national) and applying the crimes
you locate to one of the theories learned in this course.
For example: Situational Choice Theory could be related to a crime of robbing a person because
this type of crime often depends on the situation involved, such as a victim being in the right
place at the right time and other factors that lends to the ability to commit the crime, including
location, time of day, environmental factors, and the victim being alone and in possession of
items the offender desires.
Requirements: For each module, locate a local and national crime, describe the details and
source of the crime (also be sure to keep a reference page with all the sources used throughout
the course project). Identify an appropriate theory learned during this course, describe the
theory, and then explain how the theory relates to the crime chosen. Thus, each part should [INSERT TITLE HERE] 3
require at least one paragraph as follows:
1. Chosen description and details of the crime
2. Chosen Theory, including definition and founder
3. Explanation of how the chosen theory relates to the chosen crime.
Repeat this process for each crime – one local and one national for a total of a minimum of six
paragraphs per Module. Sources of crimes include newspapers, websites, television news
stations, etc. You can use theories repeatedly for this project; however, try to use varying
theories to demonstrate an understanding of as many course criminological theories as possible.
Be sure to include APA formatting, including a cover page, in-text citations, and a reference
page (please visit the Academic Resource Center for concise APA guidelines). For each module,
be sure to include the date with either Local or National next to the date as the title for that
module assignment. Note that there must be two titles for each module (one for local and one for
national). Grading will be in part on ensuring that the course project included both a local and
national component for each module. Thus, the final project should have a minimum of 16
Crimes with Theories Applied (two per module). You will also be graded on your APA
formatting, reference page, grammar, and spelling.