Students get to talk to people who’ve actually done the job in different capacities and can blend real-world experience into the theoretical and the academic.”
– John Smietana, senior lecturer, criminology and criminal justice
As a senior lecturer for The University of Texas Permian Basin’s online criminal justice degree programs, John Smietana brings decades of experience to the classroom. His background in the criminal justice field helps him give students an insider’s perspective.
Smietana recently spoke to us about his extensive work in border security, why he turned to teaching, and what makes UTPB’s programs stand out.
A Career in Criminal Justice and Border Security
Whether teaching Border Security or any other UTPB criminal justice course, Smietana draws directly from professional experience, not just textbooks.
His career reads like a cross-country tour of America’s borders. “I spent 32 years in the Border Patrol,” Smietana recalled. He worked in Southern California, served as a special agent criminal investigator in Omaha, Nebraska, and patrolled the U.S.-Canada border in Maine. “The U.S.-Canada border is the largest undefended border in the world,” he noted.
Smietana also worked on the border in Laredo, Texas, as well as in West Texas in the Big Bend sector. For the last nine years of his career, he served as Border Patrol chief of the Big Bend sector.
Smietana’s roles included intelligence work, too. “Within the Border Patrol, I was also an intelligence agent and [later] supervised intelligence cells,” he said. After retiring, he was hired by the local sheriff’s office as a criminal intelligence analyst and assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s HIDTA task force. “I’d collect information from different sources, put it together, and then provide that to agents to help them solve cases,” Smietana explained.
Why Smietana Teaches Criminal Justice
So, why trade fieldwork for the classroom?
During his years in supervision and leadership, Smietana saw an ongoing problem he knew he could fix:
“A lot of agents were lacking a basic understanding of the role of law enforcement in society,” Smietana said. “They didn’t know a whole lot about the Constitution. And a lot of them didn’t know how to write down what they saw [while on duty].”
That’s when he decided teaching could make a difference.
“Uncle Sam was very good to me during my career,” Smietana said. “How do I give back? By helping prepare others for this career and maybe avoid some problems that I noticed a lot of people just starting out have.”
For Smietana, communication is everything in criminal justice. “I tell my students that being in the criminal justice system is being able to talk to and understand others,” he said. “I think having somebody [like me] that’s been out there doing that will impress upon future practitioners of the criminal justice system how important communication is.”
Why Border Security Matters
Border security is a hot topic—in the news and education. But Smietana stressed that it’s always been important. From 9/11 to Prohibition to wars, the need for vigilance has never gone away. And it’s likely to remain a priority due to national security concerns.
“Border security is complicated,” he explained. “Nobody crosses the border on their own. If you want to cross, there’s going to be transnational organized crime involved. People who try it on their own end up paying a penalty if they [defy] the cartels. A lot of people that try to sneak around end up dead.”
Unsurprisingly, it all comes down to money.
“Smuggling is all about making money,” Smietana added. “It’s moving one commodity to an area where it’s either illegal or very rare. So that can be people, things, drugs, money. It can be weapons, natural resources, animals on the endangered species list. If it exists, it can be smuggled.”
But there’s more at stake than criminal profits.
“Then you get into the national security aspect of it too,” Smietana added. “The ability of terrorists or foreign state actors to come across. The government has a duty to protect its citizens and its national sovereignty. Secure borders are critical to that.”
Which UTPB Online Criminal Justice Program Is Right for You?
Smietana’s career shows just how varied criminal justice work can be—from patrol to intelligence to leadership.
Still unsure which program is the right one for your criminal justice goals? Smietana helped break down what each of UTPB’s online criminal justice degrees can do for your career.
Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies
UTPB’s online Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies gives students the “why” behind real-world criminal justice work.
“There’s a difference between education and training,” Smietana explained. “When you go to an academy, whether it’s Border Patrol, the FBI, or the LAPD, they’re going to teach you how to do your job correctly. They don’t always have the time to go into the theories behind it, the why behind it, the doctrine.”
UTPB’s bachelor’s program fills that gap. “You get to hear the reasoning behind the actions that you see from police or whatever part of the criminal justice system you’re interested in,” Smietana explained. “You get to ask a lot of questions. It’s really an opportunity to see behind the scenes.”
Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration
Already working in the field? A Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration can open doors to leadership roles and higher pay.
“A master’s degree, at least within the federal government, [is] an extra tick mark if you want to be promoted into management,” Smietana said. “It lets people know you have the ability to creatively think about issues and come up with new solutions.”
Why Choose UTPB for Your Online Criminal Justice Degree?
What sets UTPB apart? Smietana points to the program’s diverse faculty.
“We all come from a little bit different backgrounds. You don’t get one angle from the criminal justice program, you get different views.”
UTPB’s online programs are also built to be completed around real-life commitments. “We have a very good student-to-teacher ratio, so we get to take time with individual students,” Smietana explained. “If you’re a working person, we accommodate that … The impact on the pocketbook here at UTPB is probably less than a lot of other places. And you get ‘UT’ on your diploma.”
Course options cover multiple criminal justice areas, including victimology, policing, and research.
Ready to Start a Criminal Justice Career?
Whether you’re looking for entry-level or leadership, UTPB has an online criminal justice program for you. Look for Smietana not only in Border Security but also classes like Policing in America, Terrorism, Criminal Justice Administration, and Applied Practices in Criminal Justice.
With faculty who bring real-world experience to every lesson, our online criminal justice programs prepare you for a meaningful career in law enforcement, border security, or criminal justice administration.