Marshalltown Police Captain Chris Jones is pictured teaching a new criminal justice class at Marshalltown High School.
A new class at Marshalltown High School instructed by a local police leader is giving students a taste of law enforcement.
Captain Chris Jones of the Marshalltown Police Department has started teaching an introduction to criminal justice class at MHS this school year. It is a dual credit class as students can earn credit from both MHS and Marshalltown Community College.
MHS Principal Jacque Wyant said she was approached by Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper with this idea to help to build a local candidate pool in an attempt to fill expected future retirements in the department.
“His desire to have diverse candidates also prompted him to provide staff to teach the class,” Wyant said.
Wyant said this class can expose students to a wide range of careers in addition to law enforcement such as an attorney, social worker or others who work in the field of law.
“My hope is that students see many aspects of criminal justice,” Wyant said. “Students are learning more about citizenship and careers that can be fulfilling in service to humanity.”
Jones said teaching this class has had its challenges to get up and running, but it is going well with help from MHS and MCC staff.
“Teaching this class has been a goal of mine for a very long time and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to share my experience having worked as a police officer for the City of Marshalltown for over 22 years,” Jones said. “Making personal connections with police officers in my hometown early in my life is one of the biggest reasons I am a police officer today. I enjoy my work here in Marshalltown and I hope to have the same impact on my students as I had growing up in Spencer, Iowa.”
