SWCC program hits the road

AFTON — East Union High School students helped solve a murder recently.

They also saw what a typical officer response and detainment might look like in a public drug abuse case, and heard tips on how to stay safe as teenagers in a world of human traffickers.

It was all part of a presentation in the school’s auditorium Thursday by Diogenes Ayala, a native of Brooklyn, New York with a varied background in criminal investigations and patrol. Upon request, Ayala meets with prospective students about the new criminal justice program at Southwestern Community College that he directs. It was part of East Union’s College and Career Week Feb. 24-27.

Ayala has made a similar presentation at Red Oak High School, has another scheduled Friday at Lenox High School, and is available for any others this spring or next year as the program grows. This year, Ayala said about 50 students are enrolled either in an associate of arts degree track to get two years of academic work toward a major in criminal justice or criminology at a four-year institution; or a two-year associate of applied science degree in the career and technical education department at SWCC.

The two-year degree, which entails 66 credit hours, could lead directly to some jobs in law enforcement, and decrease the amount of academic work required in academy training.

The program is also planning to host a criminal justice camp for young students in June, and will be doing activities during National Crime Victims Week in April.

Crime scene studied

During the one-hour program at East Union, Ayala laid out a crime scene on the stage that included a mannequin representing a dead body, with assorted items of evidence marked by numbers around the body. Students looked over the crime scene and discussed with Ayala about how the person could have died, and which items were possibly linked.

Students learned some inside knowledge of law enforcement in the process, such as why an investigator would wear gloves (oils on hands leave fingerprints); sketches and photos are taken at the scene (with some items shown by measurement tools) for court proceedings; items are placed in evidence bags with a chain of custody established (so it’s known who has it and who touches it); and what the injuries could indicate as a cause of death.

Ayala also showed students some tools of the trade, such as an officer’s duty belt and handcuffs. He placed the handcuffs on a volunteer student, discussing how a situation would be handled through verbal exchanges and physical force in detainment, if necessary.

“Did you hear that click (of the handcuffs)?” Ayala asked the crowd. “That’s the sound of freedom going away. When you wake up, when you eat, what you eat, when you’re allowed out of the cell. Those are freedom of choices that you lose when you’re in jail.”

In a different scenario involving a volunteer student, Ayala played the part of an officer responding to a report of drug abuse in the local city square. He began with some basic questions about what the student was doing there, noting that witnesses had called in reports of erratic behavior and possible drug use.

Eventually, after being challenged verbally by the “suspect,” the 6-foot-5 Ayala shouted in his booming voice, “GET ON THE GROUND NOW!”

“That’s verbal judo,” he said, turning to the audience. “You’re talking with them first, gathering information, with a warning given after the first challenge. There are ways to diffuse a situation without having to use a taser. Sometimes you see videos of tasers being used, but what you don’t see are the six minutes of back and forth between the two parties prior to those few seconds. Yes, there are other videos of officers who come right at somebody without the proper training used.”

Human trafficking systems

The crowd of teenagers listened intently in silence as Ayala described in detail how human trafficking criminals might operate as a team in a shopping mall in targeting teens in the mall.

“They have someone watching from above communicating by phone when they find someone alone, maybe distracted on their phone, who fits the description they’re looking for,” Ayala said. “If you see a person in one store and see that same person in a second or a third store, the chances of that coincidence are pretty small. Be wary of that person, especially if they reach out to help you in some way. There are nice people out there, but you have to know these things are happening every day. Iowa is a big corridor of narcotic and human trafficking, with I-80 and I-35 going through the state from all directions.”

Ayala has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice from Simpson College, served in the U.S. Navy in computer network system investigations and worked with cyber security through Verizon for 17 years. He warned students about inappropriate posts on social media that can be retrieved as evidence or examined by possible employers, even if deleted.

“I’ve testified in trials on how if you commit a crime and delete something from your phone, it’s not really gone,” Ayala said. “It gets saved, and if they get a subpoena, you’re in trouble.”

Near the end of the program, Ayala helped the students discover that the mannequin “dead body” likely died from being struck by a vehicle, with the primary evidence being his broken hip that was crushed severely. But, all other items at the scene were identified as evidence, numbered and collected as possible links to the crime.

The program, he said, was an example of what’s learned in SWCC’s new criminal justice program.

“We teach you the basics of law enforcement and criminal law, what’s involved in probation and the work of attorneys, officers from local, state and federal agencies with a lot of hands-on visits,” Ayala said.

He noted past and future visits scheduled for students to the State Medical Examiner’s Office where autopsy work is conducted; the Supreme Court of Iowa; the Missouri State Patrol to observe a simulated shooting, canine work and vehicle enforcement; and the Ankeny Police Department’s use of technology in local law enforcement.

“There is a big staffing need in Iowa in law enforcement, and technical abilities are valuable skills now,” Ayala said. “For example, drones can be flown to investigate possible crime scenes in remote areas, such as up in the mountains. Skills in computer stuff and cell phones can be big. For reports, writing skills are important. Writing a report well is important for court. You have to be precise and to the point and use the language correctly.”

Enrollment information

Some of the classes taught by Ayala at Southwestern include constitutional criminal procedure, criminal investigation, criminal law, drug use and abuse, evidence, juvenile delinquency, overview of cyber crime and patrol procedures.

For more information or to inquire about attending the program contact SWCC admissions by email at admissions@swcciowa.edu or instructor Diogenes Ayala at ayala@swcciowa.edu, or visit the Southwestern website, www.swcciowa.edu, under the future students link.