UTB-TSC academic team places on top in regional criminal justice competition

At the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College some students spend time playing soccer after class. Others practice astronomy, play chess or volleyball. Members of the school’s American Criminal Justice Association Lambda Alpha Epsilon/Iota Kappa Chi Chapter practice for careers in detective work.

The ACJA aims to improve criminal justice through educational activities, promote public awareness of criminal justice issues and foster professionalism in law enforcement, according to the group’s charter. In late October the group traveled to the ACJA’s regional competition in New Orleans in Louisiana and placed in five categories.

Elvira Alvarado, the club’s president, won first place in a group competition for analysis of a crime scene, along with teammates Daisy Solis and Sandra Marquez. Celia Ortega, Lizzie Zuniga and Jasmine Montoyo won second place in the same category.

The school had previously sent individuals to the competition who won first place, but never a team.

"We were kind of the underdogs," Alvarado said. "Last year we didn’t place, but we trained well this year and we didn’t expect first place."

Fernando Reyna won second place in the physical agility competition, and Sandra Marquez won third place in the same category.

Daisy Solis won second place in the criminal law test competition and the Lamba Alpha Epsilon knowledge test. Robert Escobedo won third place on the Lamba Alpha Epsilon knowledge test.

Alvarado said the competition was an exciting way to test her skills.

"In the association we get to use the skills we learn in class, which is not an opportunity that a lot of kids get in their major," Alvarado said. "We get to put our skills to work."

Alvarado says she wasn’t always certain that she wanted to study criminal justice, but that forensics, a new program at UTB-TSC, has become her passion.

"I would like to work for the FBI forensic crime lab," Alvarado said. "I would like to be a latent print examiner — that means fingerprints found at crime scenes that you can’t see unless you use alternative methods."

Though the group’s work in the competition qualified them for the nationals, Alvarado says the registration and travel costs are more than the team would be able to raise.