Copyright M Live Michigan
BIG RAPIDS, MI - For Ferris State University students, a new criminal justice course will bring valuable real-world experience in reviewing, researching and analyzing unsolved cold cases. For law enforcement agencies, it’s a chance to fill critical gaps in staffing, and for some families, it could be an opportunity to find closure. Starting this winter, a new course at Ferris State has been created for select students to step into the role of criminal analysts, attempting to solve decades-old cold cases by examining evidence, following leads and using modern forensic tools. The class is called CRIM 390: Cold case investigations. Ferris State students taking the course will work alongside Michigan State Police and other law enforcement detectives across the state to find answers in unsolved homicides. The course is being taught by Steven Amey, a former St. Clair County Sheriff’s detective and longtime tenured professor within Ferris State’s school of criminal justice. Amey, also a Ferris State graduate, said the concept has been successful at other schools, which have teamed up with law enforcement agencies as forensic technology outpaces the manpower available in many police departments. Amey said time is always a factor, as new criminal cases never stop coming in and police agencies are often stretched thin. “Sadly, these cold cases get buried in the lonely archives of a file cabinet or storage evidence room until a detective gets the time and funding to reexamine the case,” he said. “Now, we’re here to help in whatever way we can.” Many cold cases have been solved thanks to existing collaborations in Michigan and other states, according to the university. “We have a nationally recognized criminal justice program, a biology forensics program and a fantastic computer forensics program with some of the newest technology out there,” Amey said. “We are good at playing in the sandbox together at Ferris and we all have the same goal: educating new minds with the ability and the skillset to help solve a cold case crime.” Forensic science is a growing field, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 13% increase in employment for forensic science technicians from 2023-2033. The Bureau described that growth as “much faster than average.” The demand is driven in part by increasing police caseloads and advancements in scientific and technological tools, the university said. Amey anticipated the open class will be an attractive elective for Ferris State students, especially those studying criminal justice. Similar courses are offered at Western Michigan, Grand Valley State, Michigan State and Northern Michigan universities. The CRIM 390 cold case investigations course is open as an elective to any registered Ferris State student and meets only on the main campus. Class size is expected to be limited to 14 students per section. Because of the sensitive nature of the case material, participants must submit to an application process, a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement, a criminal background check, fingerprinting and sign a non-disclosure agreement. “I envision it as an eager, energetic class of top-shelf Ferris students who will have a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Amey said. He’s hopeful it will also give students a pathway to recruitment into local, state or federal agencies as an analyst or investigator. At the same time, law enforcement officials are thrilled to have more eyes looking at these heartbreaking cases, he said. “All it takes is just one small discovery to clear the cobwebs and years of staleness from a cold case, finally allowing closure,” he said. “I’m excited for Ferris State University and these college students.”
