For the first time, the Chattanooga Police Department celebrated its academy graduation on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus. The UTC Department of Criminal Justice hosted the Sept. 4 ceremony in the Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall, where 14 graduates—including one fire investigator—received recognition for completing 22 weeks of training.
UTC’s Rick Dierenfeldt and Erica Holmes Trujillo honored with 2025 UT System President’s Awards
Two University of Tennessee at Chattanooga standouts, UC Foundation Associate Professor Rick Dierenfeldt and College of Arts and Sciences Student Success Center Director Erica Holmes Trujillo, have been named recipients of the 2025 UT System President’s Awards—the highest honor a faculty or staff member can receive from the UT System.
UTC bringing realistic police training simulation to the classroom
A high-tech simulation, VirTra, will be introduced to the classroom in the fall. The program trainees to participate in realistic, scenario-based training where their decisions, verbal commands and reactions directly influence the outcome.
Peak performance: UTC criminal justice professor honored for innovation in teaching
UTC Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Katelyn Hancock has been named the recipient of the Ken Peak Innovations in Teaching Award by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). The Ken Peak Innovations in Teaching Award recognizes faculty members for innovative and effective teaching methods that enhance learning experiences and have the potential to be replicated by other educators.
Introducing the Violence Reduction Initiative: How research is reshaping criminal justice in Chattanooga
Dr. Rick Dierenfeldt has spearheaded the creation of the Violence Reduction Initiative, a UTC research center designed to address violent crime in Chattanooga and beyond. Housed within UTC’s Criminal Justice department, the VRI represents a bold commitment to bridging the gap between academic research and real-world solutions.
UTC announces launch of the Violence Reduction Initiative
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has officially announced the creation of the Violence Reduction Initiative (VRI), a research center housed within the Department of Criminal Justice dedicated to bridging the gap between academic research and real-world solutions to violent crime in Chattanooga and beyond.
City of Chattanooga and UTC receive $2 million federal grant for CURV initiative
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Criminal Justice is partnering with the City of Chattanooga on the Chattanooga United to Reduce Violence (CURV) initiative, funded by a $1,999,187 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Hamilton County and UTC receive $844,294 federal grant to support Recidivism Reduction Initiative
The three-year project, titled the Recidivism Reduction Initiative (RRI), is designed to improve public safety by reducing recidivism rates among justice-involved individuals in Hamilton County’s misdemeanor supervision programs. Hamilton County is the lead on the project, with UTC’s Department of Criminal Justice providing research and data analysis to assess program effectiveness and measure outcomes.
A Mocs mock crime scene: McCallie School students unravel a mystery at UTC
UC Foundation Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Rick Dierenfeldt, a former police officer and criminal investigator, helped facilitate a crime scene investigator (CSI) forensic experience for a group of McCallie School students.
UTC professor, students helping Chattanooga Police decrease gun crimes
The Chattanooga Police Department began tracking gun crimes closely after violence skyrocketed in 2016. But a data-crunching partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga created four years later shows marked decreases in gun-related crimes and could be preventing future crimes by taking guns off the street.