Criminal Justice Students Win at Explorers Competition

Waxahachie, TX – April 15, 2011 – Southwestern Assemblies of God University’s (SAGU) Criminal Justice students won two categories at the Texas Law Enforcement Explorers Advisors Association (TLEEAA) State Competition in Ft. Worth April 2.

Ellis County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) Explorers post 106 took 16 members to the competition. The members were placed in 4 teams with 6 advisors. A total of 94 explorer teams from across Texas competed. The event is comprised of 14 staged scenarios that the teams must execute correctly. The students are judged as they respond to the scenario.

Ellis County Explorers won 8 trophies, 2 of which were won by SAGU Criminal Justice students A’ja Fletcher and Chris Mann. The students competed in four scenarios winning 2nd place in Robbery In-Progress & Domestic Crisis. The teams also won 1st place in Active Shooter, Accident Investigation and Officer Down-First Aid; 2nd place in Call for Police; and 3rd in Felony Traffic Stop.

SAGU Criminal Justice Professor Bruce Stayments noted, “The Explorer program is demanding. These SAGU students have to keep up with a full schedule of classes, sports, ministry involvement and other extracurricular activities on top of their Explorer responsibilities. They did tremendously well having only attended one or two competitions.” The 106 ESCO Explorers meet every Tuesday night for 4-5 hours of training. Their training includes an hour of physical exercise at the Garrison Wellness Center, an hour of classroom teaching, and 2-3 hours of hands-on training.

“You are able to take what you learn from the professors and apply it to real-life scenarios. It’s an effective way to learn what you need before you attend the police academy,” explained Fletcher. “By the time I complete my degree in criminal justice, I feel like I will be ready to join the police force.”

Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) is a private, Christian university located in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 60 associates, bachelor’s or master’s degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.