This reflection of my sociology minor requires me to look back into the past and determine if the courses that I chose had a lasting impact on my professional career. The courses that I took for my sociology minor were: SOCL2001- Introductory Sociology, SOCL3371- Sociology of the Criminal Justice System, SOCL3501- Sociology of Deviance, SOCL3510- Criminal Violence, and SOCL4461- Criminology. Just by studying the course titles, you can see that these courses are directed towards someone who is interested in the study of humans and their faults. These courses explained the criminality of a person and why these decisions are made. These courses explained the thoughts of why mental illness and drug abuse were a factor in crime. These courses explained the criminal justice system and how it involves all three branches of the government. These courses paved a way for thinking at crime not as a social constraint but more as an unplanned side effect of upbringing and social status. These courses showed me the structured portion of my career.

My career in law enforcement, obviously, has benefited from taking these courses and the thought provoking information that was taught. These courses made me more aware of the social stigma of being a victim and to help me understand the criminal and his underlying thought process. Of course, these courses have become secondary resources to what I have learned while working the street and coming into personal contact with a victim or suspect. These courses have helped me during interview processes and helped me to be able to give sound advice and assistance to family members of victims and suspects.