The Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance was formed between five Virtual City agencies - the police department, district attorney's office, state correctional facility, department of parole, and private security force - to address crimes committed by the Very Bad Bike Club (VBBC) through increased collaboration. The alliance developed a three-pronged approach: 1) Increased street surveillance through additional police and security patrols, 2) Reducing VBBC member communication in prisons and on parole, and 3) Hosting community meetings to improve police-community relations and encourage rehabilitation. The goal is to utilize each agency's unique resources and strengthen inter-agency cooperation to more effectively combat VBBC criminal activities.

1. Running head: PHASE 4 – GROUP COLLABORATION 1
PHASE 4 - GROUP COLLABORATION 11
CCJS 495 – Issues in Criminal Justice
Group 2 – Phase 4
Virtual Police Department –
Office of the District Attorney –
State Correctional Facility –
State Department of Parole –
Virtual Private Security Force –
For over a decade, the Very Bad Bike Club (VBBC) has
inflicted crime and terror upon Virtual City and its citizens
through a wide range of criminal activities, including violent
and drug-related offences. Until this point, the Virtual City
Police Department has been solitary in its efforts to target the
VBBC and its members. Investigations and arrests have been
made, but case dismissals and reduced plea bargains resulted in
little impact on the club's workings. Coordinated raids have
successfully produced multiple convictions, however, evidence
suggests imprisoned VBBC members not only maintain contact
with outside members, but are continuing illicit activities from
within prison.
The VBBC is now comprised of a network of individuals, both
inside and out of Virtual City's Criminal Justice System. A
concerted, multi-agency collaboration is required to bring the

2. VBBC to justice, for which the Virtual Criminal Justice
Alliance has been assembled. To accomplish this, the alliance
is focusing on two approaches, (1) the pursuit of the current
police investigations and prosecutions, and (2) a strategic plan
to work collaboratively to reduce crime in Virtual. Using the
influence and resources available to each participating agency,
the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance is tasked with bringing an
end to the illicit activities committed by the VBBC.
The success of the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance is
dependent upon each collaborative agency working effectively
and efficiently. Part of enacting a successful alliance is through
understanding the individual responsibilities of each agency in
dealing with this problem. The Virtual Police Department,
Office of the District Attorney, State Correctional Facility,
State Department of Parole and the Virtual Security force must
work both within their traditional roles and simultaneously
provide inter-alliance support.
The function and purpose of the police department can vary
depending on the mission statement however “crime fighting is
the hallmark of the law-enforcement style of policing” (The
american, n.d., p 3). Though, in general, the purpose of the
police department is to fight crime, there are multiple manners
in which this can be accomplished depending on the style of the
department as well as the jurisdiction.
In the fight for crime reduction and “in maintaining public
order, the police use discretion in preventing disorder from
occurring” (The american, n.d., p 3). This may include an
“emphasis [on] professional policing” (the american, n.d., p 3)
and could “[stress] addressing social problems and
neighborhood concerns” (The american, n.d., p 3). In many
ways, the police agency attempts to both prevent crime and
enhance community relations. Traditionally, the police have
been the face of the criminal justice system; police agencies
patrol communities, arrest individuals, investigate crimes and
respond to calls for service. Police have used individual arrests,
criminal charges and raids/sweeps, as an attempt at suppression,

3. to combat concerns such as those stemming from the VBBC
members.
Being deeply involved in the prosecution of suspected
criminals, in addition to maintaining an intimate understanding
of the court system, is the primary function of the District
Attorney’s Office. A strong prosecution is compulsory, in court,
in order to make a solid, winning case. The DA’s Office
approaches cases on the basis of evidence provided by the
Police Department, and other agency, investigations; regular
communication between the DA and Police, then, is vital in
evaluating the strength of evidence available, in the pursuit of
criminal charges. Prosecution by the DA depends heavily on not
only the availability of evidence, but the type of evidence
presented. For the DA, evidence in form of facts and figures,
often resultant from forensic analysis, is stronger as compared
to statements, such as made by witnesses.
Depending on the charges the DA is attempting to prosecute,
and the evidence available, there are various court proceedings
which a DA may be involved in. In more serious crimes, such as
those perpetrated by the VBBC, the DA may present a case
before a grand jury. Unlike a trial jury, a grand jury determines
when the evidence is sufficient to indict an individual. For these
scenarios, the DA prepares a summary file of the case to present
to the grand jury, which must justify the application of criminal
charges.
Additionally, the DA is responsible for ethically prosecuting
cases, as their position is intended to be for the public’s best
interest. This includes the responsibility of information an
accused of their rights and treating them with fairness (Cole,
Smith & DeJong, 2015). The DA is a representative of the state,
unlike many other legal aids, and as such they must conduct
themselves with propriety and without bias. Overall, the
position of the DA is intended to be based on the available
evidence; therefore, deep cooperation is needed between the DA
and other criminal justice agencies. Though the DA fights crime
through the prosecution of criminal offenders, thus far their

4. efforts at convicting members of the VBBC have been limited at
best.
The State Correctional Facility manages criminal offenders once
they have been sentenced to internal incarceration. The function
of the correctional facility is to securely manage these inmates,
as they serve their debt to society, in addition to maintaining
their welfare and encouraging rehabilitative efforts. The
specific day-to-day operations of a correctional facility can vary
and “are based on the size and scope of the security program or
other operations, including the responsibilities assigned for
minimum, medium or maximum-security programs” (State of
Oklahoma, 2012, para. 3).
One of the most important jobs of the correctional facility is to
ensure the safety and security of inmates and as well as staff
members. This involves the use of correctional officers to
manage and observe the facility, in addition to numerous
security features such as automatic locks and surveillance
systems (Correctional Officer, n.d.). Offenders are regularly
monitored and often provided with strict scheduling in an effort
to maintain order. With the continued increase of VBBC
members, inside the correctional facility, there has been a lack
of success in terms of rehabilitation and crime reduction.
Furthermore, the tense but cooperative relations between VBBC
and other gang entities have created further problems when
attempting to safely maintain order over inmates.
The department of parole serves “to allow criminals to avoid
prison or to be released from prison after serving only portion
of their sentences” (Justia, n.d., para. 1). In lieu of using the
State Correctional Facility to incarcerate individuals, the
Department of Parole is an attempt at community based
corrections. The number one goal of this agency is to
rehabilitate offenders and to guide them back into society; the
community-based corrections system attempts to keep those
individuals, who are on probation or parole, from going back to
prison. There are “5 million Americans on parole, probation or
some other form of correctional supervision” (Walshe, 2012,

5. para. 1).
While community based corrections aim to reduce the prison
population, and encourage rehabilitation, not all offenders may
utilize this agency. “Parole and probation are intended as
alternatives to incarceration for eligible offenders not deemed a
threat to public safety, with parole being granted at the end of a
stint in prison and probation generally in lieu of one.” (Walshe,
2012, para. 2). This system is used to help rehabilitate those
offenders who have been found guilty of a lesser crime, in the
hopes that these offenders will be easier and safer to
rehabilitate. Though parole and probation are used to lieu of
jail/prison time, there are still two ways in which individuals
may be sent to prison. This includes committing a new crime
and committing a technical violation of their probation terms.
Efforts at enforcing both parole and probation have been used
with members of the VBBC; however, these individuals have
frequently ended up back in prison due to continued criminal
activities. Unfortunately, the department of parole has been
unable to effectively administer the provisions of parole,
hindering both the efforts of rehabilitation and public safety.
The final agency within the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance is
private security. Private security, in some ways, serves similar
functions to the police department without necessarily the same
legal protections or restrictions (Gunter & Kidwell, 2004).
Traditionally, private security forces are hired by other agencies
or businesses who need assistance with surveillance or safety.
Unlike the other agencies within the alliance, however, Virtual
Security Force is a for-profit entity. While this can be
concerning, in so far as motivation goes, it also allows for
private security to maintain more flexible budgeting and
resource use (ISSC, 2014). In an effort to tackle VBBC crime,
the Virtual Security Force has been assigned to provide support
resources to the Virtual Police Department. This assignment is
directly in response to the creation of the Virtual Criminal
Justice Alliance and, as such, Virtual Security Force has had
little direct experience with combating members of VBBC nor

6. their criminal behavior.
The Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance was formed through
multi-disciplinary collaboration efforts between the
aforementioned Virtual City justice agencies to determine the
most effective means to tackle the challenges of the VBBC. The
goal of the alliance was to consider the resources and roles of
its respective members, and how those could be best utilized in
this endeavor. To that end, inter-agency communications were
critical; Each member required an understanding of what their
counterparts contributed to capably utilize the interplay between
them. While the members of this task force were familiar with
how their agencies contributed to the varying influences of the
VBBC, an open discourse allowed all agencies to form an
efficient and effective strategy.
The alliance quickly recognized that community-oriented
policing was a critical element that could reduce the impact of
the VBBC in all aspects of the community. By elucidating each
agency's role and strategies within, the members of the Virtual
Criminal Justice Alliance were able to create a comprehensive
plan of action that best utilized resources available to each
representative. Through productive dialog, the task force was
able to both eliminate redundancies, and tailor a plan of action
to maximize each department's impact.
After much discussion, The Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance
has established a collaborative solution to the VBBC problem
which involves multi-agency communication, a focus on
continual law enforcement techniques and citizen driven
rehabilitative efforts. Each agency will continue to serve their
primary function; the major changes will come in the way the
agencies work together to enhance the use of alliance resources.
Combating the continual crime of VBBC members will be
comprised of three detailed parts: An increase in street security,
a reduction in communication for incarcerated VBBC members,
and a heavy focus on preventative and rehabilitative strategies
through the formation of agency run community meetings.
The Virtual Police Department, in the past, has worked

7. alone to monitor community safety; the first part of the
proposed solution involves increasing the resources put toward
surveillance and security efforts. Virtual Police will continue to
patrol; however, there will be an increase in footpatrol,
especially in areas such as the Virtual Mall and commercial
centers which are frequent hangouts of the VBBC. Furthermore,
in an effort to assist the police in monitoring VBBC and
criminal activities, the Virtual Security Force will contribute
both man power and resources to surveillance. This will include
adding security patrols as well as the use of surveillance
equipment such as cameras. Virtual Security Force is authorized
to make arrests and will assist in the areas with the highest
incidence of crime.
The second portion of the solution comes from a need to
cut both internal and external communications with VBBC
inmates. The state correctional facility will strive to identify
and separate all VBBC members upon entrance. While the
VBBC has made ties with other inmate gangs, the intent of
separation is to prevent the continuance of any criminal activity
through a reduction in power. Additionally, the state department
of parole will increase communications between corrections and
police, in an effort to better monitor parolees who are affiliated
with the VBBC. The implementation of this portion of the
solution will necessitate occasional review by the alliance; both
to assess the efficacy and to ensure that the officers involve
maintain propriety in conduct.
The final part of the solution works toward preventative
and rehabilitative goals with a bi-monthly community meeting;
these meetings will be hosted by the Virtual Police, the District
Attorney’s office and another agency representative (on a
rotating basis) at the local library. The meetings will present
relevant community information, such as changes in state laws
or the location of rehab facilities, as well as provide an
opportunity for the community members to interact directly with
law enforcement. There will be a time for concerns to be
expressed, by the community, and children will be encouraged

8. to come and participate. Ideally, this portion of the solution will
work long term to increase police-community relations; an
increase in communication leads to more trust and ultimately
can reduce the incidence of VBBC crime.
The Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance, with team members
“drawn from different agencies, different branches of
government, and perhaps different political parties or beliefs,
can function as a true management body, working together on
jointly identified goals, addressing problems that affect the
entire system, and using the collective wisdom of their varied
experiences and perspectives to deliver safety and justice”
(McGarry & Ney, 2006, p xix). “Collaborations bring separate
organizations into a new structure with full commitment to a
common mission. Such relationships require comprehensive
planning and well-defined communication channels operating on
many levels.” (CJSP, 2004, p 10). With the function and
purpose of law enforcement to fight crime, collaborative
relationships create an opportunity for increased efficiency,
both within and outside the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance.
References
References
The american criminal justice system an overview. (n.d.).
Retrieved February 24, 2017 from
https://studysites.sagepub.com/haganintrocrim8e/study/material
s/42347_cjsystem.pdf
Cole, G. F., Smith, C. E. & DeJong, C. (2015). The American
system of criminal justice: Nelson Education
The Criminal Justice System Project (CJSP). (2004). What does
it take to make collaboration work? Lessons learned through the
criminal justice system project. NIJ Journal, 251, pp 8-13.
Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/jr000251c.pdf
Correctional Officer (n.d.). What are the duties of a correctional

9. officer? Retrieved February 24, 2017 from
http://www.correctionalofficer.org/faq/correctional-officer-job-
description
Gunter, W. & Kidwell, J. (2004). Law enforcement and private
security liaison: Partnerships for cooperation. International
Foundation for Protection Officers. Retrieved from
http://www.ifpo.org/resource-links/articles-and-
reports/security-management-and-supervision/law-enforcement-
and-private-security-liaison-partnerships-for-cooperation/
Inter State Security Corp (ISSC). (2014). Public policing vs
private security. Retrieved from
http://www.interstatesecuritycorp.com/private-security-2016/
Justia. (n.d.). Parole & Probation. Retrieved February 24, 2017
from https://www.justia.com/criminal/parole-and-probation/
McGarry, P. & Ney, B. (2006). Getting it right, Collaborative
problem solving for criminal justice. Retrieved from
https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/019834.pdf
State of Oklahoma. (2012). Correctional chief of security, I12.
Retrieved February 23, 2017 from Oklahoma:
https://www.ok.gov/opm/HR_and_Employee_Services/Job_Fami
ly_Descriptors/I000_-_Corrections_&_Custody/I12_-
_CORRECTIONAL_CHIEF_OF_SECURITY.html
Walshe, S. (2012, April 26). Probation and parole: a study in
criminal justice dysfunction. The Guardian. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/a
pr/26/probation-parole-study-dysfunction