Criminal Justice & Public Safety Expo Will Bring Students and First Responders to Campus

Hundreds of high school and potential transfer students will visit the campus on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, but this group will get a lot more than the usual tour. They will engage with police officers, firefighters, EMTs, federal agents, and other public safety, law enforcement and criminal justice professionals.

The annual event now known as the Criminal Justice & Public Safety Expo, attracts prospective students interested in public safety and related professions, including as a police officer, firefighter, paramedic/EMT, FBI, DEA, TSA and Secret Service agent, and corrections or parole officer, among other roles. A large contingent of first responders will be here to welcome the students, offering interactive demonstrations, stories about their real-life experiences, and valuable career advice.

The Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology hosts the expo, which will run from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. inside and outside the Student Center. The department offers several undergraduate and graduate level programs focused on emergency service administration, criminal justice, social policy, and mental health, including an innovative new Master of Science in Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Justice and Mental Health Policy, which launched in the Fall 2024 semester.

In addition to students, the event is open to their families and community members. It is an opportunity to not only meet law enforcement, emergency services, and criminal justice professionals in-person, but to see their tools and technology up close. They range from SWAT vehicles and police motorcycles to fire engines, ambulances, and helicopters, plus handheld and worn gear.

Participants will include federal agents, state troopers, local patrol officers, sheriff’s deputies, detectives, crime scene investigators, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, search and rescue teams, K-9 units, and individuals who operate specialized vehicles, choppers and drones, along with their equipment and apparatus. 

As UNT Dallas is strongly rooted in the community, organizers say it’s a win for everyone – students get hands-on practice and network with safety and justice leaders. At the same time, the organizations  strengthen their bonds with the community.