Tau Alpha Omicron, the Tri-State Chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA), took on dual roles this past weekend, Oct. 13 to Oct. 15, while hosting and participating in the 2006 ACJA Regional Conference for Region 6.

Tau Alpha Omicron had fourteen participants in the competition and earned a total of twenty-three awards. The following students earned awards at the event: Adam Pulley of Wabash, Ind., a criminal justice senior, as well as the current ACJA President, won second place in the male under twenty-six category of physical agility and placed third in team firearms, upper division. Rachel Thrush of Waterloo, Ind., senior and an upper division competitor, won first place in the criminal law test, for the third year in a row, was on the firearms team that took third place, second place on the corrections test, and third place juvenile justice test, as well as third place for crime scene. Kellie Kitson of Columbia City, Ind., a senior, upper division competitor, won third place for crime scene, and second place on the juvenile justice exam. Jamie Steiner of Kokomo, Ind., senior, upper division, took home third place for the corrections exam, third place crime scene team, second place on the criminal law exam, and second place for firearms team, professional division. Scott Urzykowski of Columbus, Ohio was a part of the third place firearms team, and also brought home a first place in crime scene for lower division. Jordan Hall of Muskegon, Mich. and Sara Miles of Portland, Mich. were also on the third place finishing firearms team. Miles won first place for female physical agility in the under twenty-six category, and was a part of the professional handgun team. Corey Cox of South Bend, Ind., a sophomore, did well for TSU, winning first place in the lower division firearms team with Kyle Perkins of Winamac, Ind. and Jason White of Fremont, Ind., as well as winning second place as an individual. White, a transfer student, brought home a first place trophy in criminal law. Perkins, a freshman, won first place in physical agility. John Milliken and Craig Laker, TSU ACJA advisors, fared well in competition at the professional level. Laker brought home a second place finish in physical agility, second place in team handgun, and first place in police management. Professor Milliken won second place in crime scene with Elizabeth Sheppard and Chad Lash of Angola, Ind.

TSU’s South Bend campus was the location for the event, which also featured the Sigma Delta chapter from Central Lakes College, Beta Kappa Rho from Ferris State University, Alpha Delta Pi of University Wisconsin Superior, professional members from the Sigma Iota chapter of Chicago, as well as professionals and members at large from the Zeta Sigma Alpha, Rho Omega Pi, Lewis University, and Alpha Omega Chi chapters.

The competition began early Saturday morning, as Professor Frank Jagoda conducted the crime scene competition. Using a case that he had solved as a crime scene technician, he set up a mock crime scene for students. Teams of three were tested to find the ten key pieces of evidence, using the proper investigation procedure, and write a homicide investigation report.

Saturday also included the written competition aspect. Tests were taken in the following categories: juvenile justice, corrections, criminal law, police management, and Lambda Alpha Epsilon knowledge. These categories were divided into the lower, upper, and professional competition levels.

Sunday’s events included the firearms competition and the physical agility testing. Agility included removing handcuffs, running, push-ups, sit-ups, and a body drag. This competition was divided into male and female categories, and then again into two age groups, competitors under the age of twenty-six, and competitors over the age of twenty-six. Firearms competition was also divided into the lower, upper, and professional divisions. It consisted of a forty-eight round course of fire, with the possibility of scoring 480 points individually; individual scores were added to get the team scores, and teams consist of three people.

The members of Tri-State’s chapter of the American Criminal Justice team will compete at the 2007 National Competition which will be held in Wilmington, Del. the week of March 18, as well as next year’s regional competition which will be hosted in Big Rapids, Mich. by the Beta Kappa Rho chapter of Ferris State University.