JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
The City University of New York
Committee on Graduate Studies
FORM FOR SUBMISSION OF GRADUATE COURSE PROPOSALS
Title of the proposed course:
Analytic Methods in Protection Management
Course description as it is to appear in the bulletin:
Analytic Methods in Protection Management
PMT 715 30 hours plus conferences, 3 credits. (every semester)
Surveys analytical tools of particular value to protection managers. Covers the use of
computer programs to reveal basic descriptive statistics, trends and correlations in
databases, including threats to the validity and reliability of findings. Examines the
adaptation of methods from related disciplines, including operations research,
surveys, systems safety and simple financial analyses.
Prerequisites:
None
Rationale for the course:
PMT students currently have the option of taking either PAD 715 (research methods)
or PAD 770 (computer applications in public policy and administration II). As part of
its curriculum revisions, the Public Administration Program is changing PAD 770 to
an advanced course for public administration students with PAD 715 as a
prerequisite. PMT 715, the research methods course, is of limited value to PMT
student, few of whom are likely to pursue advanced research degrees or conduct
formal research as part of their jobs. Nonetheless, there are analytic methods of
considerable value to protection management students that are not necessarily being
taught as part of the curriculum. Accordingly, the Protection Management Program
needs a new course that will be a new alternative to PAD 715 research methods
course. (PAD 715 will be retained as an option for those few students interested in
eventually pursuing a doctoral degree.)
Course objectives:
At the completion of this course, students will be expected to:
1. Have a working familiarity with basic descriptive statistics, including measures of
central tendency, association and trends.
2. Be able to generate these basic descriptive statistics from a database using SPSS.
Proposal for a new course: Analytic Methods in Protection Management
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3. Use a few uncomplicated operational research methods (e.g., linear programming,
cost/loss avoidance analysis) to solve some basic operational optimization
problems.
4. Have a general understanding of how a range of operational research methods
might be applied to problems they could encounter.
5. Use a few simple uncomplicated systems safety methods (e.g., fault tree analysis
and failure modes and effects analysis) to investigate some basic systems
vulnerability problems.
6. Have a general understanding of how a range of systems safety and hazard
analysis methods might be applied to problem they could encounter.
Course outline:
Week Content
1
1. Ways to generate data: examples of
records, logs and surveys
2. Review list of available databases
3. Using SPSS to generate and graph
descriptive statistics
Assignment Due
2
1. Review of descriptive statistics
(measures of central tendencies and
distribution)
2. Examine example of one or more
databases on Excel spreadsheet.
3. SPSS demonstration
1. Read: articles about and samples
of security logs, crime statistics,
fire incident records, etc.
Selections from SPSS intro text.
2. Exercise: generate descriptive
statistics using SPSS
3
1. Review of descriptive statistics
(measures of association)
2. Demonstrations of SPSS to generate
descriptive statistics
4
1. Looking for patterns (data mining
and trends)
2. Demonstration of SPSS to plot time
series data and SPSS data mining
program: Clementine
5
Introduction to inferential statistics:
causality and threats to validity and
reliability (part 1)
Introduction to inferential statistics:
causality and threats to validity and
reliability (part 2)
Midterm
1. Read: elementary statistical
textbook that emphasizing logic
more than computation.
2. Exercise: use SPSS to generate
descriptive statistics
1. Read: article about data mining
and selection from Campbell and
Stanley or equivalent textbook
2. Exercise: use SPSS to generate a
time-series plot
3. Write: simple data mining
research proposal
Read: selection from Campbell and
Stanley or equivalent textbook
6
7
Write: analyze validity threats in a
case study.
Review and study for midterm
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8
9
10
Operations Research: cost/benefit
analysis and simple linear programming.
Survey of other methods.
Systems safety methods: Defining
systems and intro to Failure Modes and
Effects Analysis and Fault Tree
Analysis. Survey of other methods.
Presentations of Pre-proposals. Class
makes constructive suggestions.
11
Operations Research (continued)
12
Systems safety methods (continued)
13
Presentations of proposals using an
analytic method. Class critiques
proposals.
Presentations of proposals using an
analytic method. Class critiques
proposals.
Final exam
14
Final
Read: Selections from an
Introductory OR textbook
Read: Articles on Failure Modes and
Effects Analysis and Fault Tree
Analysis
Write pre-proposal and prepare 2
minute class presentation. (Students
present an empirical issue and a
proposed analytic method for
investigating the issue.)
Read: Selections from an
Introductory OR textbook
Exercise: complete a simple linear
programming or cost/benefit
analysis
Exercise: complete a simple FMEA
or FTA
Prepare 10 minute presentations on a
proposed analysis using an analytic
method discussed in the course
Prepare 10 minute presentations on a
proposed analysis using an analytic
method discussed in the course
Review and study for final exam
Supporting Information:
Pyrczak, F. Success at Statistics: A Worktext with Humor (3rd Ed) (2004). Pyrczak
Publishing. or equivalent textbook that emphasizes logic more than computation.
Cronk, B. C. (2004) How to Use SPSS. Pyrczak ($34.50) or equivalent.
Campbell, D. T. and Stanley, J. C. (1966) Experimental and Quasi-Experimental
Designs for Research. Houghton Mifflin.
Interrupted Time Series Analysis (Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences)
By David McDowall, Richard A., Jr. Hay, Ronald E. Weber, Sage Publications, 1980.
Return on Investment chapter in a financial analysis textbook
Selected articles on data mining, including F. Palm’s notes for PAD747
Selected articles on systems safety analysis including N. Groner course notes for
PMT 740.
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Examples of databases:
Many students will be able to provide examples of relevant databases such as security
logs and incident reports. As needed, the responsible student will redact data to
eliminate all identifying information. We will gradually accumulate real and
simulated databases for student analysis that can be supplemented by using Uniform
Crime Reports, Computer Crime and Security Survey, National Retail Security
Survey, etc.
Library resources for this course:
1) Identify and assess the adequacy of available library resources material
a) Data bases
The library maintains a list databases under the heading of “criminal justice
statistics.” Most items on the list are links to reports, but some (e.g., National
Archive of Criminal Justice Data) provide links to data sets that can be acquired
and analyzed by students.
b) Books
The library has introductory books on subjects related to the course content that
students can use to increase their depth of understanding.
c) Journals
Articles in emergency management and security management journals may
provide case study materials for this course.
d) E-journals
e) Other
2) Identify recommended additional library resources
The library should expand its list of full text articles from journals to include
additional titles relevant to protection management, for example, the Journal of
Emergency Management
Proposed instructors and qualifications:
Norman Groner, Richard Schwester, Joseph Graham, all of whom are fulltime faculty
members with methodological expertise.
Other resources need to offer this course:
Sample databases need to be acquired. The department has allocated funds to
purchase databases, others are likely to be free, and others can be created from
databases provided by students and redacted to remove identifying information.
If the subject matter of the proposed course may conflict with existing or proposed
courses in other programs, indicate action taken:
There are no apparent conflicts.
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