Building Professional Law Enforcement Agencies for Three Decades

30th Anniversary

LEMIT is celebrating three decades of service to the law enforcement community in Texas and beyond.

Thirty years ago, the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) was created by the state legislature to provide professional development opportunities to future law enforcement leaders in the Lone Star State.

LEMIT Launches Lone Star Leadership for Chiefs Nationwide

Lone Star Leadership

LEMIT is offering its premiere professional development program for Texas Police Chiefs to law enforcement leaders across the country.

The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) is launching a new program, Lone Star Leadership, to offer its outstanding professional development series for police chiefs and command staff to agencies across the country.

Police Chiefs Tackle Resiliency in Leadership Series

Police Chiefs

The new cycle of the Texas Police Chief Leadership Series examines ways to build resiliency in your agency.

Police Chiefs from across Texas began the new two-year cycle of training, which includes sessions on recruiting and marketing, community policing, leadership skills, financial planning, and agency resiliency.

Creating a Lifelong Culture of Safety for Law Enforcement

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LEMIT is hosting a national symposium on the best practices to prevent line-of-duty deaths and injuries among law enforcement officers.

The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) is proud to announce it will be hosting a national symposium on best practices to prevent line-of-duty law enforcement deaths.

Study Helps Local Police Agencies Improve Investigations of Violent Crimes

Ballistics

A study by Dr. William King and colleagues led to changes in the way police process ballistic evidence in crime labs.

Results of a study of ballistics imaging by crime labs, first published in 2013, have already led to improvements in how labs and police agencies process and use information about violent gun crime.

Franklin Appointed "Voice for Victims" at Crime Victims' Institute

Crime Victims

Cortney Franklin will study victim issues and report to advocacy groups and the legislature as head of the Crime Victims' Institute.

Cortney Franklin was appointed Director of the Crime Victims’ Institute (CVI) at Sam Houston State University, a research center that studies the impact of crime on victims and society and makes policy recommendations to the Texas Legislature and advocacy groups.

SHSU Study Earns Top Award at Policing Journal

Eyewitness ID

A study examining eyewitness identification practices at the Houston Robbery Division won an award from Emerald Publishing.

A study conducted by Sam Houston State University researchers on eyewitness identification procedures used by the Robbery Division at the Houston Police Department received the 2017 Award of Excellence from Emerald Publishing.

LEMIT Hosts Training on Trauma-Affected Veterans

Veterans in Crisis

LEMIT is hosting a free training for law enforcement officers to raise awareness and learn techniques to assist veterans in crisis in their communities.

With 1.6 million veterans living in Texas -- the second highest population in the country -- the state is leading the way in offering training for criminal justice professionals to engage better with those suffering from military trauma and to connect them to services in the community.

LEMIT Study Examines Turnover Among Texas Police Chiefs

Chief Turnover

The latest study from the Texas Chiefs of Police Panel Project examines the issue of voluntary or involuntary turnover.

About half of Texas police chiefs leave their jobs voluntarily and their relationships with stakeholders and policing styles have a lot to do with their success, according to a recent study at the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT)

CVI Begins Series on Sexual Assault on Campus

Campus Sexual Assault

The Crime Victims' Institute initiated a series on campus sexual assault to explore high risk populations, bystander intervention, criminal justice responses and best practices.

The Crime Victims’ Institute at Sam Houston State University launched a new series of reports on sexual assault on college campuses, which will investigate high risk populations, bystander intervention, criminal justice responses, and best practices.

Sam Houston State Researchers Study DNA from Explosives

Explosives

A study on new methods for identifying and recovering DNA from exploded bombs was published by faculty and students in the Department of Forensic Science.

Researchers at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) hope to unmask manufacturers of homemade explosives using new advancements in DNA technology.

LEMIT Launches Fire Marshals Program

Fire Marshals

LEMIT recently hosted the first executive development program for fire marshals in the nation.

The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) is partnering with the Texas Fire Marshals’ Association (TFMA) to provide the first executive development program for the discipline in the nation.

Homeland Security Studies Moving Graduate Program to The Woodlands Center

Security Studies

The master's program in Homeland Security Studies is moving to The Woodlands Center in the fall for new graduate students.

The master’s program in Homeland Security Studies will be moving to The Woodlands Center in the fall to accommodate better students and professionals in businesses and government agencies in the greater Houston region.

The program will continue to offer classes in Huntsville for the current cohort of second year masters’ students, as well as undergraduate classes for the Homeland Security Studies minor. The Department of Security Studies provides options to take graduate courses through online or face-to-face classes.

“We are looking to make the program increasingly accessible for folks working in the field within the Homeland Security Enterprise, while providing an opportunity for younger students to get experience by taking classes with veterans working in the discipline,” said Nadav Morag, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Security Studies. “it’s a win-win for students and professionals alike.”

The 36-hour master’s program also will offer three different tracks to address the unique needs of each student. The capstone/internship option provides an opportunity to work part-time for agencies or businesses in homeland security and present a shorter research paper on practical or policy issues. For those interested in academic pursuits, thesis track candidates produce a substantial scholarly research paper on issues of significance to the field. Finally, the third track allows working professionals to write a shorter research paper and to take an extra elective course.

To serve working professionals, in-person classes will be offered in the evening. The presence of practitioners will enhance the learning experiences for other students as they discuss real world issues and scenarios in the discipline.

The security studies program has grown significantly in the last few years, with nearly 100 students enrolled in the graduate program from across the state, nation, and world, including active military personnel in Germany and Afghanistan. With more undergraduate students signing up for security studies classes or the minor, the Department is working on offering an undergraduate degree in Homeland Security Studies in the future.

To address the growth, the Department will add a new faculty member this fall. Natalie D. Baker, Ph.D., currently is an assistant professor in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. She specializes in emergency management and public health issues, most recently completing a study on the Ebola scare in the United States. She also conducted other research examining the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and earthquake preparedness in southern California.

The Department also is assembling an Advisory Board of leaders in the Homeland Security Enterprise to ensure that the curriculum offered remains relevant to the field. The advisory board also will help the program to develop new classes as the discipline evolves.

The Homeland Security Studies program delivers core courses in the foundations of security studies, unconventional threats, research methods, critical infrastructure protection, security and management, emergency management, ethics and law, and a global perspective. Electives include cybersecurity, Information and Intelligence, and other Special Topics. Summer classes also are available online.

The deadline to apply for the fall semester is July 1. For more information, contact Vivian Carlson at vxc003@shsu.edu or (936) 294-1646 or visit The Homeland Security Studies web site.

Safeguard Officer Mental Health

Research

Learn how to safeguard officers' mental health and build resiliency in your agency from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has been working collaboratively with police professionals and professional organizations on ways to build officer and agency resiliency. NAMI has made resources available for police leaders to begin addressing this significant issue. Read more

LEMIT Launches Online Offering with Body Worn Camera Course

Online Courses

LEMIT launches online offerings with a course on body worn cameras.

The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) is developing online courses to address current trends and emerging issues in the field and to provide easy access to professional development opportunities for all certified peace officers in the state.

Ph.D. Graduate Continues Sexual Assault Research in Kentucky

Research

Alumnus Bradley Campbell is using lessons learned at SHSU in a major statewide study on untested sexual assault kits in Kentucky.

A Ph.D. graduate from Sam Houston State University is using skills he learned while at SHSU to lead one of the first statewide studies to examine a backlog of untested rape kits in Kentucky.

CJ College #1 for Online Graduate Education

#1 Online CJ Masters

U.S. News & World Report ranked the College of Criminal Justice as the top in the country for Online CJ graduate programs.

Sam Houston State University offers the best online criminal justice program for graduate education in the nation, according to the 2017 rankings released by U.S. News & World Report (USNWR).

CVI Releases Report on Victimization in Texas

Victim Services

The Crime Victims' Institute published a five-year snapshot of victimization in Texas.

Alumnus

Jeff Kernohan provides security planning for corporations across the globe.

The Crime Victims’ Institute (CVI) released a summary of key indicators of victimization in Texas, which reflects changes in reported incidents, service utilization, and offender accountability over the last five years.

LEMIT's Bowden Enlisted to Protect the President

Staff Stories

Rebecca Bowden of the Constable's programs recently served on the protection detail for President Donald Trump during the Inaugural Parade

Rebecca Bowden's first trip to Washington, D.C. was to serve on the protection detail for President Donald Trump along the parade route during his Inauguration as the country’s 45th President.

NIJ Recognizes CRIMES as Exemplary CJ Technology

CRIMES Award

CRIMES, a record management system developed by the Police Research Center, was named a Justice Innovation Center for use by police and probation departments.

A comprehensive records management system developed for law enforcement agencies by the Police Research Center at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) was designated a Justice Innovation Center by the National Institute of Justice.