Law enforcement program returns to UCS after 10 years

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A law enforcement program has returned to Utica Community Schools that allows high school students to learn about the career directly from a uniformed police officer after a nearly 10-year absence.

Through a partnership between Utica Community Schools and Shelby Township, officer James Knobelsdorf is leading the yearlong career and technical education course on law enforcement.

Knobelsdorf, who is a 39-year veteran of law enforcement and a certified career and technical education instructor, was previously the school resource officer at Eisenhower High School.

Knobelsdorf said the yearlong course is designed to show all facets of law enforcement careers, including serving as an officer and working in a forensics lab. The course can also serve as a background to study law.

“It is yearlong. In order to fulfill the articulation agreement with Macomb Community College, it needs to be a year long. My main goal is for students to see what the job is. When they leave here, I want them to be able to say, ‘Yes, this is a career I want to investigate,’ or ‘No, this is not the job for me,’” he said.

Upon completion of the program, students will have earned six college credits at Macomb Community College to help them work toward a post-secondary degree. There are currently 125 students enrolled in the program, according to the district. 

Knobelsdorf said he brings in speakers with different law enforcement roles who relate the course of study to their personal work experiences. It is the blend of coursework and guest speakers that students reportedly like best about the course.

“I am also bringing in prosecutors and attorneys to talk about the legacy aspects of the career. Not everyone is going to be a police officer. I am bringing in a federal prosecutor and someone from the FBI to talk about their career pathway,” Knobelsdorf said.

The main goal is for students to see what the job is and also to see how the technology is used. Besides being a road patrol officer, students could become forensics officers with the Michigan State Police crime lab. The crime lab is a way to apply a chemistry and biology background in the law enforcement field.

He said the field might not be for everybody, but it has been for him.

“That’s why I am so passionate about this program. My son went through this very program in 2004. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do until he took this class, and now he is a lieutenant in the Ann Arbor Police Department. He is extremely successful,” he said.

Issa Dababneh, a junior at Eisenhower High School, said the program interested him.

“I looked up the list of electives that I could take, and it was something I have always been interested in. I think it is a nice class. I like the teacher and how he gives us firsthand experience. He shows videos in class and talks about cases that happened. He brings in people to talk about their jobs in law enforcement,” he said.

Sarah LaRose, a senior at Utica High School, said she thought the course would be interesting.

“I like to learn about the laws and what you can and can’t do,” she said.

She said I think when he brings in guest speakers and they share their real work experience.

“I like how he brings in speakers because they can talk directly about the job,” she said.

While the program is only 2 months old, Knobelsdorf said he is pleased with how the students have responded to the class.

“I have some amazing young people in this class that no matter what they do, they are going to be successful. The support here for the class has been great,” he said.