An unknown subject walked into Barbara Goleman Senior High School while dozens of eyes tracked her as she made an exchange with another unknown subject (unsub). This was a simulation for Goleman’s Law Enforcement and Intelligence Magnet students who are learning and perfecting the art of surveillance under the direction of academy director and Special Agent Peter Falcon.
The academy was introduced in the 2015-2016 school year and is one of only a handful of programs in Florida affiliated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Division. Students of the program not only study the facets of law enforcement, they are able to get a taste of it during activities like field trips to the FBI, Miami Division located in Miramar, or in practice situations like the surveillance test that took place at the school in late March.
The school’s administration and faculty are supportive of the program’s unorthodox but effective teaching, the latest of which was the identification, surveillance and investigation of an unsub wherein students had to practice covertly tailing and communicating amongst each other much like special agents do in real life.
Special Agents Alexis Carpinteri and Brian Waterman walked into class and briefed the students on an unsub by the name of Jane Lee. A photo was disseminated and the students were able to utilize skills learned throughout the year to track Lee’s movements when she entered the school and report it at a second briefing. Students blended in the crowd by pretending to read textbooks at benches or listening to music while really using their earphones as headsets.
The unsubs, portrayed by two special agents, were acting out the details of a real case handled by the FBI.
At the final briefing, the special agents pointed out accomplishments and areas of improvement. The program accepts new applications every year for a diverse pool of students interested in preparing for a career in law enforcement.
For more information on the magnet program, visit www.bghs.dadeschools.net or call 305-362-0676.