Criminal Justice & Forensic Science Association

The Criminal Justice Forensic Science Association (CJFSA) is a student organization geared toward engaging students of all disciplines in both the academic and professional world of criminal justice and forensic science. The club meetings normally occur every other week to update students on current events and activities held on campus and throughout the community along with information concerning news within the criminal justice and forensic science fields. Meetings occur on Monday, Wednesday or Friday at 11:00 a.m. in Trustees 107.

CJFSA is a student organization that likes to give back to the community. The members of CJFSA participate in volunteer opportunities such as Skibo Roadside Clean-up, The Jesse Smith Woodcutting Project, the Warrior Angels 5K run, Show You Care Day, Crime Stoppers BBQ, and many more.

One of the CJFSA members’ favorite aspects of the club is the networking opportunities presented to the students. As a member of CJFSA, you are encouraged to attend and apply for student membership in professional criminal justice and forensic science conferences such as the American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS), the International Association for Identification (IAI), the North Carolina branch of IAI (NCIAI), the North Carolina Criminal Justice Association (NCCJA), the Vidocq Society, and many more. Students are also given the opportunity to tour labs such as the Sirchie Fingerprint Labs and the Washington DC FBI and DEA Labs.

Another type of event CJFSA is expanding on is hosting on-campus, nonprofit, training opportunities for local law enforcement agencies. Members of the club are invited and encouraged to attend these seminars to gain many outstanding networking opportunities while learning vital information on various topics. Thus far, the club has hosted Forensic Psychologist and Vidocq Society co-founder Richard Walter, author Michael Capuzzo, Criminal Profiler and Homicide Investigator Dayle Hinman from the TV show “Body of Evidence,” and retired FBI Criminal Profiler Mark Safarik from the TV show “Killer Instinct.” Along with these seminars, the club normally hosts a dinner for the guest speaker and various law enforcement agents so that the students can socialize and receive information that can help aid them in future endeavors.

Additional events CJFSA likes to hold are club socials. Twice a year, members of CJFSA meet outside the university to talk, eat, relax, and have some fun. In the past, the socials have consisted of dinner, sporting events, arcade, and bowling visits which are all paid for and provided to the students free of charge through club funds.

For more information about The Criminal Justice Forensic Science Association at Methodist University, contact Dr. Steven Downs at [email protected].