The Law Enforcement Class offered at the Career Training Center by Baldy View Regional Occupational Program (ROP) began on Jan. 17 and will continue through May 31 every Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM. The ultimate goal of this course is to challenge students, both academically and physically, to learn important lessons, and to pursue careers in Law Enforcement by going over all the various types of law so students can prepare for what they want to do in the future. This year, there are three instructors to guide the students along this course: Joe Nash, Jose Ferreira, and Robert Martinez.

Robert Martinez has taught law enforcement at the career training center for five years, and criminal justice for four years. He majored in sociology and was offered a job at San Bernardino Juvenile Hall for night shift as a guard.

“I love teaching. My passion is to teach young students about the criminal justice system,” Martinez said. “If you want to go into any kind of law enforcement, my advice is that anything negative you are doing now, end it. One thing about criminal justice is that it opens up a field of everything you want to do, but it will be narrowed down to one eventually.”

Joe Nash intends to instruct the physical portion of law enforcement. Nash recently graduated from the California Baptist University with a Liberal Studies degree. He is currently a campus safety officer at Wayne Ruble Middle School campus and a coach for the defensive line position at Fontana High School.

“I feel physical fitness allows a law enforcement officer to perform in his/her job to the best of their ability and gives them an overall confidence [that] they can perform safely in a physically demanding job,” Nash said.

Throughout the course, students will be taught about careers in law enforcement, defensive tactics, leadership skills, firearms, narcotics, and drugs. It will be academically and physically challenging, enforcing discipline on safety, career planning, ethics, technology, and communication. The class will provide overview on different kinds of law enforcement agencies in state, federal, municipal, and county levels.

In this course, students will learn about employment opportunities in criminal justice and students will leave in the end with a clear mindset of what career to follow. By the end of the semester, the students will have a commanding presence, strategies, strength, and a clear focus that will not only help them if they pursue a career in law enforcement, but will follow them throughout their lives.