Syllabus is an ongoing series of stories that gives readers an inside look at some of Susquehanna’s most interesting classes.
The Class: Topics in Criminal Justice: Police Theory vs. Practice, CJUS-202
The Professor: Christopher Clinton ’10, Criminal Justice
“Get out of here,” came an alarmed shout. “You’re going to blow my cover!”
The outburst echoed through what looked like a quiet neighborhood — but moments later, the lights in Steele 219 flicked back on, revealing not a dark alley, but a classroom. The confrontation was part of an immersive VirTra simulation led by members of the Pennsylvania State Police for students in Topics in Criminal Justice: Police Theory vs. Practice.
The “responding officer,” psychology and criminal justice major Liam Kelly ’27 returned to his seat so Corporal Shawn Barry and Lieutenant Alan Zulick could debrief the students on what they witnessed on the projection screen.
“Most decisions officers make aren’t shoot/don’t shoot,” Zulick said as he walked to the front of the classroom. “It’s about asking, ‘How do I solve this problem?’”
Every scenario presented to the class posed similar questions with varying degrees of urgency — from the neurodivergent child accused of stealing a candy bar to the agitated and potentially armed warehouse employee. Barry directed these interactions in real time by selecting dialogue options based on how students reacted. They had access to virtual pepper spray, a taser and a firearm — and as is the case with most police interactions, none of them saw use.
“I thought the VirTra system was a very useful tool to help develop individuals who want to be police officers,” said Kelly, of Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, who plans to become a police officer. “It was very interactive and safe for cadets and trainees.”
Hands-on demonstrations like the VirTra exercise are one of the ways PA State Police Cpl. Christopher Clinton ’10, adjunct instructor of criminal justice, tackles the material he teaches class. Clinton helps students apply the theoretical principles governing how law enforcement officers should act around the public to real-life examples of those duties, such as talking with citizens about a suspected crime, detaining bystanders at a crime scene or apprehending an at-large criminal. Students also examine real-world cases in which these interactions didn’t go as planned and analyze the human and environmental factors that led to that result, spanning everything from personal stress to the equipment an officer had on their duty belt and the behavior of the “subject.”
Alongside traditional coursework like in-class discussions and writing assignments, Clinton supplements this curriculum with a special asset: his own professional experience.
“My full primary job is a state police patrol corporal, so I’m in the field, I’m on the road and I see this every day in real time,” Clinton said. “Bringing those experiences back to the classroom really impacts the class because I can say, ‘How do we perform a traffic stop?’ and talk about it in theory, and I can say, ‘Well, the last three traffic stops I performed, this is what it looked like. Why is this different?’
“We all have interactions with the police. If we better understand what they do, what we think they do and what they actually do, that broadens everyone’s understanding,” Clinton added. “So, when I see something on the news that looks scary, that looks aggressive, that looks foreign to me, I can ask why they’re doing that. Having that understanding removes those levels of fear and difficulty.”
Learn more about Susquehanna’s Criminal Justice major and minor.
