Master of Justice Administration
April 2016
Engage. Enrich. Empower
Edenton, NC Police Chief Offers
Encouragement for Success
By: Lisa Long
“I like to think of it as cutting the grass. Don’t think about the whole yard, just concentrate
on one row at a time and before you know it…you’re done!”
That’s how Jay Fortenbery likes to describe the MJA journey. Fortenbery, Chief of Police
for the Town of Edenton (NC) began his MJA journey during the Spring semester of 2010.
With a Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies from North Carolina Wesleyan College, Fortenbery was hired as the Chief of Police in Edenton in January 2009. In Edenton, Fortenbery
supervises a department of 19 sworn officers and two civilians.
“The down-time interactions
were very enlightening and the
contacts can be a great asset in
the future.”
“I supervise the day-to-day functions of the department. This also includes managing an
annual budget of $1.5m, recruiting and hiring new officers, supervising patrol, investigative
and the administrative functions of the organization,” says Fortenbery.
- Chief Jay Fortenbery
Since Fortbenbery had already obtained a position as a chief of police, his primary goal for
obtaining his MJA was to begin teaching part-time at the university level.
“Obtaining an MJA has made it possible for me to become an adjunct criminal justice professor at Elizabeth City State University and North Carolina Wesleyan College,” says
Fortenbery.
Ultimately, Fortenbery wants to continue to
teach after retirement and well into the future. Hence, he is pursuing his PhD in Criminal Justice at NOVA Southeastern University. Fortenbery has completed all of his
coursework and plans to defend his dissertation this semester.
Thanks to his work during the MJA program,
he had a foundation laid for the work on his
dissertation. Fortenbery’s Capstone project
was entitled “Why are Physical Fitness
Standards not Mandated in North Carolina.”
The study involved obtaining self-reported
survey information from a sample of police
chiefs across North Carolina.
(continued page 3)
In This Issue

Edenton Police Chief
encourages others

MU Activities

Fayetteville PD Recruiting Event

Coordinator’s Corner

Cops use empathy instead of force
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Jay Fortenbery, Chief of Police Edenton, NC
3rd Annual Graduate Research Symposium
Methodist University held its Third Annual Graduate Research Symposium on Monday April 11, 2016. MJA graduate Michael Wilson was one of the platform presenters
during the symposium. Wilson presented a lecture entitled, “An Examination of Domestic Violence Causation, Prevention and Offender Rehabilitation in Eurasia.” Wilson will also have a poster about the same topic displayed during the Undergraduate
Research and Creativity Symposium on Wednesday April 13, 2016.
Methodist University Activities

April 13-5th Annual
CURC Symposium

April 15 & 16
Breaking
Barriers-A Performance of movement pieces.
7pm, Huff Concert Hall Stage
Michael Wilson answers a question from Dr. Pam Strickland during his presentation
Dr. Darl Champion is Awarded Humanitarian Award
The Fayetteville-Cumberland County Human Relations Commission recognized Dr.
Darl Champion for his work in the community. Dr. Champion was named the 2016
Carlos and Terri-Union Zukowski Humanitarian. The banquet was held on Thursday
March 31, 2016. Dr. Champion was unable to attend the banquet due to a prior commitment to present at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference. He
was awarded specifically for his contributions to the Greater Fayetteville United Community Organization.
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase
perfection we can catch
excellence.”
-Vince Lombardi
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Dr. Darl Champion, MJA Director
Fortenbery, continued
“The study revealed that most police chiefs are not in
favor of mandatory fitness standards, when they are
included in the process,” said Fortenbery.
Now, Fortenbery’s dissertation will be an exploratory
study on physical fitness standards to see if mandatory
fitness standards are associated with rates of officer
injury in North Carolina. His research will be valuable to
him and his colleagues across the state.
Colleagues that he met while in the MJA program will
more than likely benefit from his research. One of
Fortenbery’s fondest memories of being in the program
was meeting a diverse group of individuals.
“There was a very diverse group of students from different fields of criminal justice: police, probation, SBI,
Highway Patrol, Sheriff’s Offices, Federal and the court
system,” Fortenbery notes. “The down-time interactions
were very enlightening and the contacts can be a great
asset in the future.”
As with many of our other former students, Fortenbery
encourages students to begin working on their Capstone early and to work with faculty members throughout your time in the program to be successful.
Chief Fortenbery snaps a selfie with some young Edenton residents
“The literature review can be the most intensive part, but can be done over the course of the program,” says Fortenberry.
Fortenberry not only enjoys pursuing his education, he loves living in Edenton, NC. He loves boating and physical fitness.
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Chief Fortenbery enjoying his boat and the coastal life
TEACHING COPS EMPATHY TO DETER USE OF FORCE
THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
BY: LYNDSAY WINKLEY
SAN DIEGO — A class being given to police officers in San Diego was lauded as an example of what departments need to do to
better control the use of force — the topic of a recent national conference.
At the heart of the approach is emotional intelligence, basically, being self-aware and empathetic.
The conference, titled “Use of Force: Taking Policing to a Higher Standard,” was held in Washington, D.C., Jan. 29. About 200 officials
from police departments across the nation, including officers from San Diego and Chula Vista, gathered with federal officials , academics
and community leaders to find ways to staunch what has been a rolling national controversy since the shooting of Michael Brow n in Ferguson, Mo.
“As we look back at the most controversial police shooting incidents, we sometimes find that while the shooting may be legall y justified,
there were missed opportunities to ratchet down the encounter, to slow things down, to call in additional resources, in the m inutes before
the shooting occurred,” Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, wrote in a report that prece ded the conference.
Wexler cited the course recently developed by the San Diego department to teach emotional intelligence as one potential solut ion.
The class, dubbed “Effective Interactions,” teaches new officers how to manage tense situations through communication.
Officers learn how to effectively get their messages across in a variety of different circumstances, and then are paired with community
members, acting as role players, who help officers practice.
“(It’s about) using your words to bring the situation down,” said San Diego’s Assistant Chief Sarah Creighton, who oversees t raining and
employee development and attended the event on behalf of the department.
The training program mirrors one of the 30 recommendations the research forum rolled out at the conference so closely that Cr eighton
shared the course’s curriculum with the forum’s representatives.
“I think it could potentially be a model for other agencies,” Creighton said.
(Continued on pg 10)
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Coordinator’s Corner
This month, I want to discuss something that really grinds my gears as I walk across our
campus. Not only as I walk across campus, but as I walk through stores, as I’m in the
mall, as I watch TV, as I troll Facebook. As the weather warms up, it seems to me that
people, especially young girls, see warm weather as a ticket to remove clothes. More and
more, I’m seeing females select clothing that reveals more and more skin. I was in the
mall over the weekend with my husband and 16 year old son. We ventured into one of
the trending stores for young folks nowadays, as my son was looking at some jeans. On
the table, right in the front of the store, I noticed what appeared to be jean shorts…
for a young female. I picked them up, and I kid you not, there was probably only about 4
inches of fabric to those “shorts.” Now, granted, they were a size “0”, however, there was barely enough fabric to cover
the palm of my hand! I know I’m getting old. I know I’m not exactly in touch with today’s “sense of style” and “fashion”, but
I do know that there’s a valuable character trait that as a society we can’t afford for our young people to lose. That character trait is MODESTY. Mr. Webster Online lists two simple definitions of MODESTY. 1. The Quality of not being too
proud or confident about yourself or your abilities. 2. The Quality of behaving and especially dressing in ways that do not
attract sexual attention. Recently, I had a conversation with some of our undergraduate students about this very issue.
Not only did we discuss the scantily clad females, we discussed the males with their pants hanging halfway to the ground, we
also discussed the individuals that think its ok to be in public in fleece pajama bottoms. I was told that being able to dress
a certain way was their way of expressing themselves. One girl told me that she had a semi dress code in high school and
couldn’t wear certain things that she can now that she’s in college. She said that she felt she had a unique style of dress
and it was a way for her to express herself. Another girl told me that she understood my concerns, but that she really didn’t think it was “that serious.” They both defended the “booty shorts” and the halter tops. I asked the question, would you
wear what you wear here at school in front of your parents?? The one girl told me that her mom buys all of her clothes, to
include her halter tops, so of course she would.
I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be “holier than thou.” I know when I was growing up, in high school and in college, I
wanted to wear what was “in style.” I wanted to wear clothes that would attract the attention of the opposite sex. My
mother made me change my clothes in high school more than once! But, here’s my hang-up. It seems that as time has gone
on, what’s in style is more revealing and more sexually enticing than we’ve seen in the past. As a mother of two sons, it’s
important for me to teach my sons to have respect for women, not to sexualize them or demean them in anyway. It’s also
important for girls to show modesty and have respect for themselves when they are choosing what to wear on a daily basis.
One of the girl’s told me that she shouldn’t have to worry about how guys see her and guys wanting to sexualize her because
of what she wears. She said guys should be able to control themselves and that she shouldn’t have to be mindful of what
she was wearing because she may entice a male. I guess on some level she’s
right, however, we are all human beings. I want young women and men to
know that they need to be preparing themselves for their future. It’s our
job as adults to prepare them for professionalism and life. Them attending
class every day is their job. Attending class is daily practice for going to
work every day. I want them to get in the habit of preparing for real life. I
want them to feel confident in expressing themselves, but to also learn that
modesty needs to be a part of that expression.
I’m interested to hear your thoughts…
I welcome your feedback and opinions!! I will publish
Disclaimer: Views presented in this section of the
newsletter are that of the program coordinator and
in no way represent Methodist University
(reasonable) responses and feedback!! Send any feedback or
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responses, or suggestions for content to:
LLONG@METHODIST.EDU
Fayetteville Police Department Recruiting Unit Changes the Face of Community Policing
By Lisa Long
The Fayetteville Police Department is striving to make their department mirror the population that they serve. The
Recruiting Unit at the Fayetteville Police Department has been charged with this undertaking. Of nearly 433 sworn
police officers at FPD, there are only 68 females. Lt. Tracey Bass-Caine challenged Officer Tony Gayles and Detective Rick Barnhill to decrease this disparity. She challenged them to come up with ways to recruit and retain female officers at the Fayetteville Police Department.
“One thing that we noticed was we were losing highly qualified female applicants because they were having trouble
passing the physical requirements of the application process,” said Barnhill.
Gayles and Barnhill devised a plan. They began to plan a recruiting open house event for interested applicants to
participate in the POPAT (Police Officer Physical Aptitude Test). The plan was for current female officers to come
out and perform the POPAT alongside prospective candidates, so they would feel encouraged that it could be done.
The female officers would also be available for any questions that applicants may have regarding being a female officer.
Somehow, I was asked to be a member of the planning committee for the event. As a former Fayetteville Police Department Non-Sworn employee, I still have a vested interest in the department and the initiatives and campaigns that
they are involved with. So, of course, I accepted the invitation.
I soon realized that being a part of the planning committee would also turn into ME participating in the POPAT as
well. I was asked to perform the POPAT. This
was another way to show the applicants that it
could be done. Here I am, an old non-sworn,
non-PD employee that’s doing it! Anybody can
do it, right!!
Of course, I accepted the challenge. The challenge would begin on a Wednesday afternoon
approximately three weeks before the event.
Officer Gayles and Detective Barnhill would meet
myself and a few “interested others” at the
Fayetteville Police Department Training Center to
“run through” the POPAT. What in the world had
I gotten myself into? I made it through the bag
rolls, I made it through the dummy-drag, and I
made it (barely) through the dreaded push-ups.
What do you mean I can’t go to my knees to
complete them if I get tired?????
“Your chin didn’t touch my fist, doesn’t count,”
said Gayles. In the same breath, he offered encouragement. “Come on, you got this!” He was
on the ground, in my face, counting for me.
They captured me dragging the dummy!
“You did it! You made it!” Gayles yelled at me, trying to give me a high-five, but my arm would barely raise above my
shoulder. I think I gave him a “waste-high-five”, if I remember correctly! He was just as excited for me as I was
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myself. Maybe, he was thankful that he wasn’t going to have to call for EMS, I don’t know.
Fast-forward to the event on April 2,
2016. Myself and four sworn officers
showed up to offer encouragement and
hope for those who are planning to make
Law Enforcement their career of choice.
Some of the attendees were nervous,
some were scared, some were confident,
but all of them showed up for the challenge.
Myself and the officers were named as
team leaders for the event. It was our job
to ensure the success of our team members. It was our job to offer encouragement when they didn’t think they could
knock out another push-up. It was our
job to get them through the entire test.
Most made it, some didn’t. Those that
Event attendees listen closely as the POPAT is explained to them
didn’t were able to identify their areas of
weakness. They now knew what they
needed to work on on their own time in order to be successful during the application process. Some had friends
and family members present with them; all there to offer support and encouragement to help them pursue their
dreams of becoming police officers.
It is important to also mention that there were males at this event too. The event was organized as a fitness event
from a female’s perspective, however, gentlemen that were interested in becoming police officers were encouraged to attend as well. Anyone who wanted to better understand the physical requirements for being a police officer was encouraged to attend. Officer Gayles and Detective Barnhill worked with the gentlemen in attendance.
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Fayetteville Police Detective Christine Hurley, Officer Tracey Bowman, Detective Karla Rieves, Lt. Tracey Bass-Caine, Officer Amanda Maldonado and MJA Program Coordinator, Lisa Long
Having participated in this event, there were many things that became clear and apparent to me. In the day and
time that we live in, where every time you turn the TV on, someone is casting a police officer in a negative light,
there are still individuals that have a sense of calling to wear the uniform, to dawn this badge, to serve and protect their community. The men and women that showed up to this event displayed determination, grit, dedication
and perseverance. You may believe me if I told you there was an individual that showed up wearing a pearl
necklace, pearl earrings, dress pants and flats. You probably wouldn’t believe me when I told you that she completed the POPAT wearing all of that! She told me that she was there because she wanted to be a police officer
and nothing was going to stop her from accomplishing that.
It made me proud to meet individuals that are still answering the call to become law enforcement officers and
they aren’t willing to let anything stand in their way of fulfilling their dreams. It also made me proud to be affiliated
with the Fayetteville Police Department and this event. This event is an exemplary example of community policing. These officers weren’t answering a call for service, they weren’t directing traffic at an intersection, nor were
they attending a community watch meeting. They were displaying a very unorthodox method of community policing that yielded a win-win situation for everyone involved. This event showed transparency, as attendees were
invited into the FPD training center, to participate in the event at the location where they will have to pass the
event in order to be a FPD police officer. This event shows that FPD is concerned about applicants and citizens.
They want to see people succeed and fulfill their dreams. They want to hire those most qualified and trained for
the job. Those attendees left that event knowing the FPD cares about their success. They left that event knowing that there are dedicated officers who are committed to FPD and the future of the department. They left that
event knowing that even a former FPD employee cared enough about the department and its success and image
to volunteer her time on a Saturday to help them succeed in becoming a part of that Thin Blue Line. Hats off
Fayetteville Police Department. Keep up the good work!
Officer Tony Gayles instructs attendees on completing the waiver form to participate in the event
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I didn’t get her name, but she
was one of the attendees.
She started to drag the dummy. When she began, she
had a brace on her wrist because she had injured her
wrist a couple of weeks prior
to the event. While dragging
the dummy, she dropped it,
removed the wrist brace and
continued on to drag the
dummy across the finish line.
Nothing was going to stop
her.
She was one of my team members. This
set of push-ups was right after she finished
her bag rolls. If you’ll notice, she’s doing
push-ups in her socks! She lost one shoe
while doing her bag rolls. She finished her
bag roll, stood up, took her other shoe off
and started her push-ups!! No stopping, no
quitting!!
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Teaching Cops Empathy,
Continued
Dr. Dan Blumberg, a San Diego police psychologist who helped develop the department’s program, said the training wasn’t
created in response to a particular incident
or report but grew out of conversations
about improving the relationship between
police departments and communities.
The goal is to foster emotional intelligence,
basically how to understand and manage
one’s own emotions while recognizing and
respecting the feelings of others.
Blumberg said an informal review of more
than 20 research studies on emotional intelligence in the workplace showed emotionally intelligent employees handle stress better, are more ethical and make better d ecisions.
Several studies that specifically analyzed emotional intelligence in relation to police performance found emotionally intelli gent officers
were better at coping with ongoing stress.
“If you describe how a good officer anywhere does their job, you’re describing what we’ve come to recognize as emotional inte lligence,”
Blumberg said. “It’s someone who understands himself or herself and can understand emotions evoked during the job and manage their
emotions effectively. They understand the emotions of others and are able to use emotions to create positive encounters.
“And they are able to operate with force when necessary but usually act with compassion.”
He said the skill of emotional intelligence could also reduce use-of-force incidents by decreasing impulsive, knee-jerk reactions.
The class, which was first offered in November and again in January, will be offered to the department’s most recent academy graduates in
July.
Creighton said the course is just one initiative on a list of strategies the department has implemented over the last five to 10 years that
place emphasis on de-escalation and tactical communication.
Organizers of the forum called a number of fatal police shootings “lawful but awful” in that they were legally justified but fueled community outrage and maybe could have been prevented.
“It was a great opportunity to talk about where we are as an occupation and changes that, collectively, we’re going to need t o make,”
Creighton said.
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Methodist University
Master of Justice Administration
5400 Ramsey St.
Fayetteville, NC 28311
http://www.methodist.edu/mja-admissions
https://www.facebook.com/methodistmja.coordinator
Program Director
Program Coordinator
Dr. Darl H. Champion
Lisa G. Long, MJA
Phone: 910-630-7050
Phone: 910-630-7268
Email: champion@methodist.edu
Email: llong@methodist.edu
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