University Hosts American Criminal Justice Association Regional Conference

The University of New Haven’s Psi Omega chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA) recently hosted a three-day regional conference at the University. As part of the conference, participants competed as they tested their knowledge and physical skills. The event also included guest speakers who discussed wrongful convictions.

Below, five Chargers reflect on their experiences at the event.

I have been an active member of the Psi Omega chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA) since my first year in 2021. This year, I am serving as chapter president, which has been a huge commitment, but so rewarding! Every year we attend a regional conference, and this year it was Psi Omega’s turn to host the conference. We have been planning this conference for six months. It has taken countless hours, meetings, and effort, but it was worth every minute!

We had more than 40 of our members attend the three-day conference, and we welcomed more than 40 students from the Sigma Tau Omicron chapter in West Chester, PA. The conference included five academic tests, a physical agility test, and a crime scene investigation practical exam. We were very grateful to have alumni, students, and faculty proctor these exams.

It was very inspiring to see University of New Haven alumni come back to the University, now as law enforcement officers, to help with our conference. At one point, they were in the same shoes that I am in as a student at the University, and now they have successful careers in law enforcement, through their connections from ACJA.

Furthermore, competing alongside my fellow students was a very rewarding experience, as we all became much closer! We went into the conference as acquaintances, but we came out of the conference as close friends.

For our members, we hosted many prep events, which paid off because Psi Omega placed in many of the competitions! I placed 3rd in the Upper Lambda Alpha Epsilon Knowledge exam and first in the Upper Crime Scene Investigation practical exam. Psi Omega also won the Spirit Award!

On the last day of the conference, we had a panel of guest speakers focusing on our theme, “Wrongful Convictions Exonerated Through Forensic Evidence.” These speakers were from the Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services and the Innocence Project. They spoke of their expansive knowledge and experience in wrongful convictions and forensic science, which was unbelievably powerful. One of my favorite memories from the regional conference was the award banquet.

It was so fun to watch all of my friends and classmates be recognized for their hard work and dedication to the field of law enforcement. Between Psi Omega and Sigma Tau Omicron, the sportsmanship that was displayed that evening was astounding. Everyone cheered for their fellow competitors like they were cheering for themselves. These conferences are educational experiences, and they instill in students a deep sense of sportsmanship, pride, and dedication to their passions.

This was my second ACJA conference, and it was so rewarding to see all of the behind-the-scenes work that went into it. I am very excited for nationals in Dallas this spring!

The 2023 Region IV Conference was a complete success! As the vice president of the American Criminal Justice Association on campus, there was a lot of planning that occurred behind the scenes to make this regional conference as professional and educational as it could be. We were extremely grateful for the more than 75 students, staff, faculty, and professional members from the University of New Haven and West Chester University who attended our conference!

Over the course of three days, attendees were kept busy. There were five academic tests on criminal justice topics, including police management, juvenile justice, corrections, criminal law, and LAE knowledge. Attendees also had the option to compete in a physical agility competition, modelled off the CHIP test. The last competition that attendees competed in was a crime scene practical. When attendees were not competing, they were networking with students, staff, and faculty, as well as with the professional members of the organization that were in attendance. Attendees also got the opportunity to hear a presentation from three professionals who have dealt with wrongful convictions, the topic of our conference this fall.

My personal favorite experience from the regional conference was the crime scene practical. Students were placed in groups of three and were given 15 minutes within a crime scene to take notes, complete a rough sketch, and ask all necessary questions to obtain crucial information about the crime. After those 15 minutes, students then had to complete a narrative report in 45 minutes using evidence that documents the facts of the case, any evidence, and other important information. I have yet to take a crime scene class at the University of New Haven, but these conferences provide me with hands-on experience to help me prepare for my classes and for life beyond graduation.

The regional conference is only the tip of the iceberg compared to the national conference in the spring, and I recommend that every student who is passionate about criminal justice attend this conference! It is an eye-opening, once-in-a-lifetime experience to compete in relevant competitions, network with faculty and students from other schools, and discover what you are truly passionate about!

Since joining the Psi Omega chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association in the Fall 2021 semester, I have been a general member, served as a committee head, and I now serve as the conference preparation chair on the executive board. When students join the national organization, they are entitled to attend the regional conference in the fall and the national conference in the Spring.

At these conferences, students have the opportunity to participate in workshops, seminars, and competitive written, practical, and physical events, as well as to network with professionals in the field. At the Region IV Business Meeting at the 2023 National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, the decision was made that Psi Omega would host the 2023 Region IV Conference. As the Conference Preparation Chair, I would be primarily responsible for organizing the conference.

The executive board had three meetings during the summer to begin planning for the conference. During the first meeting, we decided that the theme of the 2023 Region IV Conference would be Wrongful Convictions Exonerated Through Forensic Evidence. At the suggestion of Daniel K. Maxwell, one of our Chapter Advisors, we contacted Beth A. Merkin, a lecturer in the Henry C. Lee College who had spent 33 years as a public defender in New Haven.

Professor Merkin was able to secure Joseph Lopez, director of complex litigation for the Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services; Catherine Goodbody, post-conviction/Innocence Project attorney for the Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services; and Richard Emanuel, defense attorney for one of the first wrongful conviction cases in Connecticut.

To prepare our members for the Criminal Law, LAE Knowledge, Juvenile Justice, Police Management, and Corrections written exams, as well as the Crime Scene Investigation practical exam, I asked Lee College faculty who teach and/or have experience with these topics to provide a one hour overview of their topic. Professor William H. Carbone, Professor Michael Lawlor, and Dr. John DeCarlo all offered to assist in our juvenile justice, criminal law, and police management review sessions.

Since I was not involved in designing the competitions, I was able to compete in the professional division. Despite answering phone calls and traveling off campus throughout the day to ensure the regional conference was running as efficiently as possible, I still placed first on the police management exam, third on the criminal law and LAE knowledge exams, and my group placed third on the Crime Scene Investigation practical exam. Although preparing for the regional conference was labor intensive, I am pleased with Psi Omega’s performance. As a chapter, we won the Spirit Award, and 24 members received at least one award, for a total of 24 individual awards and six team awards!

Attending the Region IV Conference provided me with opportunities I would have not been afforded otherwise. I plan on attending the 2024 National Conference in the Spring, and I would urge my fellow Psi Omega members to consider doing the same. I would also encourage incoming Lee College students to join the Psi Omega chapter of ACJA and to participate in the regional and national conferences.

For my first-ever academic conference, I could not have asked for a better experience. I went into regionals not quite knowing what to expect and had minimal expectations of placing in any of the many competitions. I was fortunate enough to have a solid CSI group and we ended up taking first in the upper division.

This competition allowed us to gain hands-on experience by investigating a mock crime scene with only 15 minutes to search the scene and then 45 minutes to write the report and final sketch. I felt pressure to do well within my group as I knew that Olivia Hall ’25 and Noah DiNallo ’24 had placed at Nationals last year, so I relied heavily on my knowledge from prior courses and conference prep classes. There is only so much a classroom lecture can accomplish for understanding investigations, so the ability to not only physically search and write a practice report, as well as compete against two chapters’ divisions is not something everyone gets to experience.

I also placed first in the Female 25 and Under division for physical agility, an assessment often required of officers for many departments. Everyone typically gets the most nervous about the physical competition, and I admit I was, too, as the agility tests were based on C.H.I.P. standards. Although I stressed about running a mile and doing some pushups, the insight and perspective I acquired from tests such as CSI and physical will help me in my future career. Bringing together both Psi Omega and Sigma Tau Omicron chapters was a great networking opportunity to participate in even if I had not placed at all, as now I have valuable experience and confidence in these areas. In addition, Regionals opened doors to what possible career options look like for me after graduation that I did not originally plan on. Regionals was an amazing opportunity to connect with others within the criminal justice community, and I cannot wait to compete at nationals in Texas this spring!

As a member of the American Criminal Justice Association, I had an incredible time and was proud to receive 3rd place in the physical agility portion of the competition. Prior to this event, we were hard at work reviewing the different topics that exams are based on. Exams consisted of criminal law, juvenile justice, police management, corrections, and LAE knowledge.

When I arrived at the Beckerman Recreation Center for the physical agility test, I was met by my police adviser and former ACJA member Officer Brooke Lombardo, along with other law enforcement officers, who were the proctors for our exam.

The physical agility test was based off of and similar to the C.H.I.P. test. The C.H.I.P. test is a physical agility test that is a standard some law enforcement agencies use while hiring. The standard we were held to is to do as many sit-ups as we could in a minute, a lap sprint around the indoor track at the recreational center, as many push-ups as we could in a minute, and finally a mile run.

In between we would be given short breaks. After everything, I was left exhausted but felt accomplished. The CSI portion was held at the Courtyard by Marriott, and we were given a scenario, and a mock crime scene. Overall, the American Criminal Justice Association did an incredible job in holding this regional event that was very well planned. Congratulations to all who placed.

Psi Omega, Spirit Award; Matt Stalter, Criminal Law Lower Division 3rd Place; Sophia Lastorino, LAE Knowledge Lower Division 3rd Place & Crime Scene Investigation Lower Division 2nd Place; Caitlin Valko, LAE Knowledge Lower Division 2nd Place; Alexis Tierpack, LAE Knowledge Lower Division 1st Place & Corrections Lower Division 2nd Place; Zach Moore, Police Management Lower Division 2nd Place; Daniel Martinez, Physical Agility Male 25 & Under 3rd Place; Alex Riccardo, Physical Agility Male 25 & Under 2nd Place; Ben Cap, Physical Agility Male 25 & Under 2nd Place; Jade Colon, Crime Scene Investigation Lower Division 2nd Place; Diane Weiss, Crime Scene Investigation Lower Division 2nd Place; Madeline Hall, Crime Scene Investigation Lower Division 1st Place; Megan Kirk, Crime Scene Investigation Lower Division 1st Place; Lauren Grenci, Crime Scene Investigation Lower Division 1st Place; Emily Schweigert, Criminal Law Upper Division 3rd Place, LAE Knowledge Upper Division 2nd Place, Juvenile Justice Upper Division 1st Place, & Corrections Upper Division 3rd Place; Olivia Hall, LAE Knowledge Upper Division 3rd Place & Crime Scene Investigation Upper Division 1st Place; Noah DiNallo, LAE Knowledge Upper Division 1st Place & Crime Scene Investigation Upper Division 1st Place; Madison Savarese, Corrections Upper Division 2nd Place; Skylar Galvez, Physical Agility Female 25 & Under 3rd Place & Crime Scene Investigation Upper Division 2nd Place; Bella Douglas, Physical Agility Female 25 & Under 1st Place & Crime Scene Investigation Upper Division 1st Place; Megan Ruoff, Crime Scene Investigation Upper Division 2nd Place; Emily Fleury, Crime Scene Investigation Upper Division 2nd Place; Colin Graham, Criminal Law Professional Division 3rd Place, LAE Knowledge Professional Division 3rd Place, Police Management Professional Division 1st Place, & Crime Scene Investigation Professional Division 3rd Place; Danielle Erwin, Juvenile Justice Professional Division 1st Place, Police Management Professional Division 3rd Place, Corrections Professional Division 2nd Place, & Crime Scene Investigation Professional Division 3rd Place; Vanessa Schenking, Crime Scene Investigation Professional Division 3rd Place.

The Psi Omega Chapter Would Like to thank Noah Swatt, Univ. New Haven Conference Services; Jodi Alston and the Univ. New Haven Track Team; Ian Maloney, Glastonbury Police Department; Nate Michaud, West Hartford Police Department; Brooke Lombardo, Greenwich Police Department; Joseph Lopez, Director of Complex Litigation for the Connecticut Public Defender’s Office; Catherine Goodbody, Post-Conviction/Innocence Project Attorney for the Connecticut Public Defender’s Office; Attorney Richard Emanuel; Beth Merkin; Daniel K. Maxwell & Maria Torre, Psi Omega Chapter Advisors; Dayana Solano and M.S. Forensic Tech. Team; The Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences; Mike Snow and the Region IV Executive Board; The Sigma Tau Omicron Chapter; and Countless Others for Their Contribution to the 2023 Region IV Conference!

Olivia Hall ’25, Noah DiNallo ’24, Bella Douglas ’25 are criminal justice majors at the University of New Haven. Colin S. Graham ’23, ’24, M.S. is a candidate in the University’s graduate program in investigations. Daniel Martinez’27 is a forensic science major.