Building Safer Communities Through Education
The Maine Community Policing Institute (MCPI) provides education, training, and technical assistance to members of the public and the police who protect them with the goal of creating proactive problem solving to enhance community well-being and quality of life through public safety partnerships.
Trust between police officers and the communities they serve is the foundation of Community Policing. Building upon that trust, citizens can create partnerships with their police officers that work as a force-multiplier to develop strategies for addressing the causes of crime, fear of crime, and social disorder. When communities collaborate and commit to preventing these issues in a proactive and strategic manner, they will see results that enhance and protect their quality of life.
“Rather than simply responding to crimes once they have been committed, community policing concentrates on preventing crime and eliminating the atmosphere of fear it creates. Earning the trust of the community and making those individuals stakeholders in their own safety enables law enforcement to better understand and address both the needs of the community and the factors that contribute to crime.”
The 61-credit Associate of Science in Community Policing is available online and teaches future and active law enforcement professionals and citizens how to develop relationships of trust, understand and address social disorder, prevent crime, and minimize the fear of it.
It is the first degree of its kind dedicated to community policing in the U.S.
The degree program builds on the existing certificate and micro-certificate offered at UMA. It uses existing courses and an interdisciplinary approach to instruction that can provide students with knowledge in law, substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, hate crimes, community resilience, communication, cultural competency, women and gender studies, American history, computer science, and art.
Certificate in Advanced Criminal Justice Management
This 30-credit certificate is available online. Students in this certificate program will gain education specific to the responsibilities of contemporary public sector management within the criminal justice professions. Topics will include Principles of Management and Comparative International Justice Issues. As a stand-alone credential or as an addition to an A.S. or B.S. degree, this certificate will enhance your management skills and career development.
Micro-Certificate in Community Policing
This 18-credit certificate is available online. Students will learn the history, development, and direct examples of the philosophy that has become known worldwide as Community Policing. Community Policing promotes organizational strategies that create problem-solving partnerships targeting the reduction of crime, fear of crime, and social disorder. All contemporary police service agencies and the citizens within their communities benefit from this approach to building safe communities.
While the Certificate in Community Policing is open to all students, Maine Criminal Justice Academy graduates of the Basic Law Enforcement Police Training Program (BLETP) are eligible for 15 transfer credits toward completion of this certificate.
Micro-Certificate in Community Corrections
This 18-credit certificate is available online. Students who enroll in this certificate will gain expertise in the principles of the care, custody, and control of persons remanded to incarceration by the court. Specific education in the Foundations of Justice and Restorative Justice will lead the learner to understand the public safety responsibility of changing antisocial behaviors toward improved accountability and reduced recidivism. Corrections professionals and citizens at large will benefit from the content of this interdisciplinary program.
While the Certificate in Community Corrections is open to all students, Maine Criminal Justice Academy graduates of the Basic Corrections Training program (BCOR) are eligible for 6 transfer credits toward completion of this certificate.