(ANGOLA) -- Trine University hosted dozens of high school students on campus this past weekend for a hands-on criminal justice competition focused on real-world law enforcement skills.
Twenty-eight students from Impact Institute and the Whitko Career Academy took part in a SkillsUSA criminal justice competition Saturday, February 7.
The event was hosted by Trine's Department of Criminal Justice, along with members of the university's Cold Case Unit and the Trine chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association, inside Best Hall.
Students participated in simulated scenarios where they acted as responding police officers and crime scene technicians. Trine faculty and staff evaluated participants on crime scene processing, domestic violence response, and traffic stop and arrest procedures.
In the domestic violence scenario, students were graded on officer safety, scene control, communication and de-escalation, legal knowledge, decision-making, and professionalism. During the traffic stop simulation, judges evaluated the legal basis for the stop, approach and positioning, communication, information gathering, and safety procedures. Scores from multiple scenarios were combined.
Winners in the law enforcement response category included Impact Institute students Angel Razo, Ayden Davis, Taylor Colliver, Rhaigyn Trenary, and Jaxon Williams, along with Whitko Career Academy students Anna Alleback, Daelyn Kirkdorffer, and Lillian Coil.
Crime scene investigation winners included Impact Institute students Alana Emelander, Koen Hostetler, Collin Rurka, Elyssa Bender, Eliza Collins, Charles Holbrook, Taylor Colliver, Andrew Buck, and Lily Robinson, along with Whitko Career Academy students Autumn Deneve, Dylan Hershberger, Shanelle Johnson, Brnedyn Bradley, Raegan Gump, and Gracelyn Rose.
All winners will advance to the state-level SkillsUSA competition.
The Whitko Career Academy serves students from Whitko Community Schools, while Impact Institute includes students from multiple school districts across Steuben, Noble, DeKalb, and surrounding counties.