Wednesday, March 10, 7:00pm, via ZoomOur Justice Speakers Series continues
the conversation about systems and structures with this look at past
education and practice in law enforcement and current trends in
education for policing that address race and diversity and where we go
from here. Our panelists will be Dr. Pat Nelson and Dr. Carl Lafata,
from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Register below for this event.
Dr. Pat Nelson currently serves as the Law Enforcement Program and Criminal Justice
Program Director, along with being the chairperson of the Department of
Government at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She served as an
officer and sergeant for the Minneapolis Police Department before
retiring due to a duty related injury and joining MSU Mankato in 2012.
She also served as a crisis negotiator, field training officer, academy
trainer, patrol officer, and investigator during her tenure with
Minneapolis. At MSU Mankato, Pat teaches Minnesota Criminal Code,
Terrorism and Political Violence, Topics classes, and Intellectual
Aspects of Law Enforcement, which focuses on communication and decision
making. She was also a leader of the Criminal Justice Program Community
Review that took place in summer 2020, and is appointed to the Minnesota
POST Rules Advisory Board. She is also currently on the Board of
Directors for MNCIT.org.
Dr. Carl Lafata Served for nearly two decades as a Michigan State Police trooper, and
as a municipal peace officer in Michigan and California, before
accepting a faculty position at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Part of the Law Enforcement Program’s faculty since 2015 and teach
courses related to police practices, human behavior, race and diversity,
and the social sciences. Possesses a bachelor’s degree in criminal
justice, a master’s degree in criminal justice administration, and a
doctorate in sociology with areas of concentration in criminology and
social psychology. Has more than 15 years of teaching experience at
colleges and universities, the first 10 of which were as an adjunct
while serving as a full-time peace officer. His research interests
include topics in sociology and social psychology, including police
subcultures and authoritarianism.
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