Criminal justice is about more than just law enforcement and working alongside police officers and detectives. There are many careers available to criminal justice graduates that do not require working as a peace officer. In fact, there are many corporate roles for a criminal justice major that can allow them to put these skills to work in a more conventional office setting. Today’s businesses exist in an economic climate that’s headed for recovery, but still requires careful attention to details in order to prevent fraud and criminal activity, ensure that no trademarks or copyrights are breached, and take legal action against those who seek to defraud the company or participate in some kind of theft. Criminal justice graduates can help thwart this activity in a few key positions.
Fraud Prevention Departments
Almost all major corporations have a fraud prevention department that is dedicated to preventing employee theft and tracking various sources of external fraud. Their goal is to act as a constant monitor, an informed advisor, and a corporate educator, to help discourage fraudulant activities and bring them to light when they are occurring. Criminal justice graduates complete a large number of classes that teach them how to identify fraudulent activity in business, retail, and personal relations. They are also the best people to consult when developing an anti-fraud policy or confronting suspected cases of employee abuse in the workplace. Fraud prevention is growing in importance and sophistication within today’s largest corporations, especially due to the nature of electronic fraud and theft.
Legal Analyst or Legal Support Services
Though the criminal justice department is not involved in making, interpreting, or defending the law, it is certainly involved in understanding the law and offering clarification on how certain activities break the law and require corrective action. In many corporate settings, criminal justice experts work alongside company lawyers when investigating cases of hacking, fraud, abuse, waste, or other criminal activity that has taken place in the office, within the company’s stores and marketplace settings, or online. Their work will vary depending on the nature, severity, and scale of the crime, but they will almost always work in advisory and analytical roles that help lawyers build a case and seek corrective legal action.
Workplace Policy Development
All employers have an employee handbook full of policies and procedures. Criminal justice experts often work alongside managers and executives to help develop and revise policies and procedures. Their understanding of law enforcement and criminal activity gives them insight into the most likely employee abuses and poor judgment calls. They also know how to write comprehensive conduct policies that reduce waste, discourage fraud, and spotlight abuse before it becomes a significant drain on company resources.
Corporate America Has a Home for Criminal Justice Graduates
It might seem as though criminal justice is only useful in the traditional law enforcement setting, but the nature of this degree makes it versatile enough to translate directly into a number of corporate positions with today’s largest employers. Whether it’s creating workplace policies or finding those who have deliberately broken them in pursuit of a personal benefit, professional criminal justice workers provide useful services that will keep companies profitable and ethically sound over the long-term. For this reason, the corporate roles for a criminal justice major only continue to expand in scope, importance, and availability.