The Criminal Justice Student Organization (CJSO) often is willing to volunteer their time to help the community. According to Randi Colores, President, and Bob Vang, Vice president, CJSO is a very active club that participates in various events to help the community. “We are a working organization,” Colores said. “We do a lot.”

“CJSO usually has one major event a year, such as last year’s Carnival for Cause. At that event the club raised over $1,500 for Pathfinders, a shelter for homeless children,” Vang said. At smaller events, they work security. “If a charity were to call us and need help with something, we’d be there,” Colores added.

And sometimes they volunteer as a favor to instructors, as in the case with State Fair. Colores said that it was an EMS instructor who asked if the club could help out. She explained that it wasn’t for any other reason than that they needed assistance, “and we were glad to help.”

It’s common for the club to do security, Vang explained. But for State Fair, they did primarily traffic control. “We did a lot of traffic control,” Vang said. “And we directed all the horse trailers and all pedestrians.”

Colores said they were given $224. “That’s to help us in CJSO with expenses,” Vang added. CJSO not only helps in these kinds of events, but also helps with the in-service training for the police certification classes.

They believe that being a member of this organization is a great way for people to get involved in community service, which is what the Criminal Justice program is ultimately about.

CJSO is a club open to all Criminal Justice students. Anyone interested in joining should call Jim Dailey at 414-571-4590.