NEWS RELEASE

The United States Department of Justice
Welcome to the District of Kansas

PROSECUTORS, FEDERAL AGENTS AND WSU FACULTY TEAM UP TO TEACH U.S. ATTORNEY’S CITIZENS ACADEMY

WICHITA, KAN. – The federal criminal justice system in Kansas will be the subject of a four-week course for community leaders in the state’s first United States Attorney’s Citizens Academy.

“Despite its critical importance to our democracy, there is much about the federal criminal justice system that the public does not know,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren. “Our goal is to inform and educate participants about the agencies, investigators, and prosecutors whose duties are to fight crime and enforce federal laws.”

The academy will meet from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in four sessions starting April 9 at Wichita State University. Sessions will continue on April 16, April 23 and April 30.

Sponsors for the event include:

– The United States Attorney’s Office.

– The School of Community Affairs, Department of Criminal Justice, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts, Wichita State University.

– The Regional Community Policing Training Institute at Wichita State University.

“We hope to give community members the opportunity to engage themselves as active participants in learning the importance of the federal criminal justice system and its vitality in safeguarding our community,” said Michael Birzer, director of the School of Community Affairs at Wichita State University. Former U.S. Attorney Jackie Williams, who is teaching at the School of Community Affairs, also is assisting with the Citizens Academy.

There is room for two dozen people in the class. Applications to join the Academy class may be downloaded at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ks/. Applications must be returned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office by March 26. There is no cost for the class, but participants must certify that they will be available at the designated times and plan to attend all classes.

Classes will be taught by representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office; the School of Public Affairs at WSU; the Regional Community Policing Training Institute; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Secret Service, the Postal Inspection Service, Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General and the Wichita Police Department.

Topics to be covered will include the following:

● The federal justice system: Similarities and differences with the state system.

● Domestic and international terrorism: Gathering intelligence and building cases.

● Drug trafficking: Wiretaps and other tools.

● Gangs and violent crimes: Using federal gun laws to get career criminals off the street.

● White collar crime and health care fraud: Taking criminals out of the boardroom.

● Immigration offenses: Protecting national security and preventing identity theft

● Crimes against children: Tracking predators on the Internet.

“These classes will take Academy members behind the headlines, where federal agents and prosecutors fight a daily battle to keep drug dealers and gang members, child predators, identity thieves, corporate crooks, human traffickers, and other criminals from getting the upper hand,” Melgren said.

For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Citizen Academy, call Jim Cross, public information officer, at 316-269-6481.