Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Minimum Education Requirements For Crime Scene Investigators, Araseli Saldivar

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

The initial crime scene investigation is critical since it is the primary step in the investigative process; therefore, individuals assigned to process a scene should be highly educated. Improperly educated (or uneducated) crime scene investigators (CSIs) can mishandle evidence during an investigation, affecting the outcome of cases. The minimum education requirement for CSIs should transition from a high school diploma—the current requirement—toward a bachelor’s degree. The importance of acquiring a college-level education is observed in a study conducted on crime scene examiners in Australia. To determine the educational requirement for CSIs in the United States, information was gathered electronically from …

Optimizing Collection Of Trace Biological Samples From Vehicle Headrests, Kevin Tang, Jesse Ramirez, John Bond, Jocelyn Weart, Yvette Delatorre, Ian Fitch, Steven Lee

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Tape-lifting and swabbing are two methods commonly used for collecting biological samples in the United Kingdom and United States to investigate vehicle crimes. Determining the optimal collection method may lead to an increase in generating DNA profiles and crime-solving. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of adhesive tape and the double-swab collection methods for investigating vehicle crimes with possible touch DNA samples. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the use of tape-lifts and swabs on spiked common vehicle fabric materials. The efficiency of recovery between the two collection methods was performed using qPCR. The results from …

Forensics’ Fight: A Need For Aggressive Strategies Against Confirmation Bias, Madison Mcgowan

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences produced a lengthy report illuminating significant weaknesses present within the forensic community. One complex fault found in forensics was conformation bias. Since it is within human nature to make decisions based on contextual information, assumptions, and pre-held opinions, confirmation bias is an issue that will continue to persist. Therefore, stronger efforts must be made to recognize and abate the problem of bias within the field of forensics in order to preserve the notion that forensic science exists to serve principles of both truth and justice. Accordingly, this paper argues for the fight against …

Narcissistic Traits Of Police Officers In America, Paloma Moran

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

The narcissistic traits of police officers aged 17 to 78 in the United States affect American citizens in various degrees. Improvements made to pre-employment psychological evaluations, such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2), the L (Lie) Scale, and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), may detect and screen out police officer candidates with underlying Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). It is important that candidates with NPD be screened out as, if they become officers, they may commit acts of police misconduct, which greatly affect the safety and trust of the American people.

An Evaluation Of Escience Lab Kits For Online Learning, Diana Orozco

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Higher education online science courses generally lack the hands-on components essential in understanding theories, methods, and techniques in chemistry and biology. Companies like eScience Labs construct kits to facilitate online learning, which provide students with hands-on activities relevant to their science courses. In order to evaluate ease, efficacy, and comprehension of the forensic science kits by eScience Labs was completed while writing observations of the activities during and after completion; the lab manual learning objectives were compared to results of activities and two stopwatches took elapsed time of each activity to compare with the stated times in the kit manual. …

Disrespecting The Minimum Wage: How States Limit The Opportunity For Restaurant Workers To Support Themselves, Samantha Pereira

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

This paper examines the inequality in the restaurant industry in America. It focuses specifically on the tipped minimum wages in different states compared to the real minimum wage and looks into the gender and racial inequality present in restaurants. The first section analyzes the history of tipping and what it has become in the United States. The paper then moves to describe different struggles that tipped workers in the restaurant industry have to face. The paper also discusses different arguments to raising the tipped minimum wage and compares states with a tipped minimum wage and states without a tipped minimum …

Check Your Expectations: Testing Self Check In A Consortium Environment, Natasha Allen, Suzanna Conrad

Faculty and Staff Publications

In the spring of 2016, the California State University (CSU) System began the process of creating formalized self-check testing procedures for campuses utilizing self-check in anticipation of our switch to Alma in June of 2017. Ten of 23 CSU campuses have self-check machines in service. Each campus presented its own unique challenges for migrating to a new system including various self-check vendors, options on self-check machines, authentication procedures, and usage of automated materials handling systems. Our group of five was tasked with creating standardized goals and procedures for linking our self-check systems to Alma despite myriad configurations. Our goal for …

Body-Worn Cameras: Reducing Citizen Complaints And Improving Relationships, Julie Bui

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Video recordings of police-citizen interactions, most notably those obtained from the dashboard cameras (dashcams) of police cars, have been successful in objectively capturing police-citizen exchanges. However, since police-civilian interactions do not solely occur in front of police cars, dashcams present significant limitations. Off-camera violent, and sometimes fatal, encounters (such as the notorious Ferguson case) have fueled increased public support for body-worn cameras. This is especially true in cases with conflicting accounts from the officer(s), victim(s), and witness(es). Requiring officers to wear bodycams may reduce incidents of force and citizen complaints, and increase officer accountability. This paper will present peer-reviewed research …

How Japan’S Cultural Norms Affect Policing: A Side-By-Side Comparison With The United States, Katrina Tran

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

The ways of policing have been critiqued throughout the years—some have advocated for a direct approach while others value diplomatic techniques. Consideration is emphasized by how culture affects policing in the United States and Japan. In the United States, the customs of policing involve violence, individualism, pragmatism, social mobility, and low power distance, whereas Japan encourages non-violence, face-saving, conservatism, and high power distance. The difference in these cultural norms reflects how policing is conducted in these two countries. To understand how policing in these two countries are different, this paper examines the difference of cultural norms and its impact on …

Mass Shootings And The Media: How Race And Ethnicity Influence Media Coverage, Emily Wheeler

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Topics related to crime and the criminal justice system comprise a majority of topics discussed in the media. This study explores how media coverage of mass shootings varies based on the racial or ethnic identity of the shooter. Topics examined include popular beliefs and misconceptions about the race of mass murderers, the role mass media plays in influencing public perceptions about race and crime related topics, and the alarming rate at which the public recognizes and accepts the media as a reliable source of information when official data sources provide a much different picture. Further analysis of the Columbine High …

Physical Match: Unique Fracture Patterns In Wooden Popsicle Sticks, Yiu Ming Sunny Lau

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Physical match (or physical fit) evidence was considered reliable in court for years, until the Daubert case, which required standardized scientific methodology on all forensic evidence. Physical matching faces the same criticism as other forms of physical evidence (specifically, that it lacks a scientific foundation). Physical matching is based on the idea that when an object is fractured, the shape of each fragment is unique and it is not possible to recreate a fragment that is identical to any other. In this study, fifty wooden popsicle sticks were broken in half, the pieces were mixed, and then reconstructed using physical …

Spartan Daily, May 11, 2017, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2017

Volume 148, Issue 43

Spartan Daily, May 10, 2017, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2017

Volume 148, Issue 42

Spartan Daily, May 9, 2017, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2017

Volume 148, Issue 41

Archeota, Spring 2017, Kimberlee Frederick, Rebecca Leung

Archeota

No abstract provided.

Spartan Daily, May 4, 2017, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2017

Volume 148, Issue 40

Spartan Daily, May 3, 2017, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2017

Volume 148, Issue 39

Spartan Daily, May 2, 2017, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2017

Volume 148, Issue 38

Look To Our Campuses For Focus And Inspiration, Kathleen F. Mcconnell

Faculty Publications

Forum: Communication Activism Pedagogy. Response. Connecting students with broader social movements is a good way to inspire them. We should also recognize that many students arrive at college with a stake in social justice work and many engage in activism while in college. Supporting those efforts is another way of mentoring future social justice advocates.

A Comparative Study Of Local Municipalities’ Implementation And Compliance Of Construction Site Controls, As Required By The California Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region, Municipal Regional Stormwater National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (Npdes) Permit, Maria Begiebing

Master's Projects

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has programs designed to protect the navigable waters of the United States from urban runoff pollution. One source of polluted runoff regulated by EPA is from construction sites. In support of this effort, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a regional National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit called the Municipal Regional Permit (MRP). The goal of the MRP is to provide consistent regulation of stormwater contaminants across multiple jurisdictions (CRWQCB, 2015).

This research project evaluated the construction inspection programs of fourteen cities located in California’s San Francisco Bay Area to determine …

Improving Livability Using Green And Active Modes: A Traffic Stress Level Analysis Of Transit, Bicycle, And Pedestrian Access And Mobility, Maaza C. Mekuria, Bruce Appleyard, Hilary Nixon

Mineta Transportation Institute

Understanding the relative attractiveness of alternatives to driving is vitally important toward lowering driving rates and, by extension, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), traffic congestion, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, etc. The relative effectiveness of automobile alternatives (i.e., buses, bicycling, and walking) depends on how well streets are designed to work for these respective modes in terms of safety, comfort and cost, which can sometimes pit their relative effectiveness against each other. In this report, the level of traffic stress (LTS) criteria previously developed by two of the authors was used to determine how the streets functioned for these auto alternative modes. …

Addressing The Ab 109 Population In Santa Cruz County: The Santa Cruz County Recidivism Study Of Post-Realignment Offenders (2011–2016), Shea Johnson

Master's Projects

The goal of this paper and the included “Santa Cruz County Recidivism Study of Post-Realignment Offenders (2011–2016)” is to provide a meaningful presentation of recidivism rates for Santa Cruz County and, in doing so, help Santa Cruz County agencies to better design recidivism reduction programs, highlight the problems every county faces in trying to conduct recidivism reduction studies, and provide a roadmap for what is and is not possible for policymakers who are increasingly demanding more refined data sets and streamlined data for budgeting.

Collective Impact: Working Together For Robust Community Emergency Preparedness, Cheryl H. Galloway

Master's Projects

This study identifies a shortfall of solid emergency preparedness between organizations and individuals in Gilroy, providing a gap analysis in disaster mitigation on the civilian side. This information is important for emergency managers and public safety officials to understand as they strive to develop plans and solutions to increase participation, effectiveness, planning, training and implementation at the Gilroy Unified School District and in the community at large. Using an evaluation of current efforts for review by the school board, city council, Chamber of Commerce and non-profits in the public safety sector, more expansive outreach through collaboration is the common goal. …

Under The Care Of The City Of Fremont: Employees Embrace A Healthier Lifestyle Through Worksite Wellness, Kelly Wright

Master's Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine: (1) if the City of Fremont has effectively implemented wellness activities that promote health and wellness for employees; and (2) what strategies can the City of Fremont use to encourage and increase employee participation in workplace sponsored health and wellness program activities.

Ending Transitional Homelessness In San Jose, California: A Process Evaluation Of The City Of San Jose’S Plan To Convert A Hotel/Motel Into A Single Room Occupancy Living Unit For The Transitionally Homeless, Alyssa Garcia

Master's Projects

The City of San Jose has been working on the Hotel/Motel Supportive Housing Program and Underutilized City-Owned Property project since 2012. The City acquired the Plaza Hotel in downtown San Jose from the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Authority and leased the property to Abode. Abode converted the rooms into SRO units for the transitionally homeless and occupancy is expected in July of 2017. The program is estimated to operate for five years before it is torn down. The project is unique, as the city has never had a hotel/motel conversion program tailored towards transitionally homeless adults.

A process evaluation …

Spartan Daily, April 27, 2017, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2017

Volume 147, Issue 37

Spartan Daily, April 26, 2017, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2017

Volume 148, Issue 36

Spartan Daily, April 25, 2017, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2017

Volume 148, Issue 35

“Yo No Cruse La Frontera, La Frontera Me Cruzo” (I Didn’T Cross The Border, The Border Crossed Me), Heriberto Zavala

McNair Research Journal SJSU

The song, “Somos Mas Americanos” is a work of art, and every single one of its lyrics is tied to a history about my experiences, my family’s experiences, and the experiences of countless others. Lyrics like those in “Somos Mas Americanos” touch people’s souls and pierce their hearts because it speaks to the socioeconomic, racial hierarchy, racially biased politics, and laws against immigrant workers like myself in the U.S. Further than that, it educates listeners about the U.S./Mexican War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, where México lost its territory to the U.S., which explains the heated controversy surrounding the …

Culturally Competent Health Education In African-Americans’ Faith-Based Communities For Better Health Outcomes: A Literature Review, Kougang Anne Mbe

McNair Research Journal SJSU

Obesity is a compelling health issue among African-Americans, who have the highest prevalence of excess weight among all ethnic and racial groups in the United States. This soaring obesity rate contributes to poor health outcomes and significantly inflates the risks for many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. The literature provides evidence for the success of health programs aimed at promoting healthy behavior and lifestyles in African-American faith-based organizations, as the influential role of churches in African-American communities is well documented. However, few studies have investigated the criteria essential for improved efficiency of health interventions …