On Saturday, May 17,  students from the Introduction to Legal Research class attended a Rasmussen College field trip to the  William Mitchell College of Law.  The tour of the law library was to familiarize students with how to look up information in a law library as opposed to electronically using Westlaw. 

The tour began at noon.  Kirk Olson, instructor from the St. Cloud campus, and Amy Springer, reference librarian from the Eagan campus, participated in leading the students through the tour.  Amy pointed out where all the books were located.  Kirk created some short exercises that had students locating statutes, information in encyclopedias, and cases.  We worked as a group to locate the information and then discussed the outcome.  It was a great exercise. 

Afterwards, we all went to lunch at Bonfires on Grand Avenue.  We enjoyed a leisurely lunch. 

Liz Hurley-Felling

Rasmussen College Brooklyn Park's Intro to Criminal Justice class had two Brooklyn Park police officers come in to speak about how they got started in their careers, their experience and education, what their daily work routine is like, and how being a police officer affects their personal relationship. Officers Andy and Sara Suerth are not only officers for Brooklyn Park, they are also married to each other.

They also discussed the Brooklyn Park Police Department, how many different specialty areas police officers can go into, hours they work, and opportunities for students to pursue while still in school. They also brought in two videos which were squad cam video clips showing pursuits that the officers were involved in in Brooklyn Park.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the speakers and couldn't stop commenting on how interesting they were. Rasmussen College Brooklyn Park campus is having Minneapolis Police Officer Dave Palmer - on May 27th.

To discuss the law enforcement aspects in the field of criminal justice, Sara Suerth, a Brooklyn Park Police Officer will be speaking to the Introduction to Criminal Justice class on Thursday, May 15^th from 5:30-6:00pm at the Rasmussen Brooklyn Park Campus. She will talk about the Brooklyn Park Police Department, what is involved in her day-to-day work procedures, her background and how she became a police officer, how she works with other criminal justice agencies, and if her job is what she expected it would be.  

All students are invited to attend. Please email Leslie Palmer at leslie.palmer@rasmussen.edu with any questions.

Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney was a guest speaker at Professor Patty Laney’s Policing in America class on April 24, 2008, at the Fargo campus. 

 Prior to being elected Sheriff in November 2006, Sheriff Laney was a lieutenant with the Fargo Police Department.  As a Fargo police officer, Laney worked with the gang and narcotics units and also commanded the canine and school resource programs.  Sheriff Laney visited with students about his experiences and duties as a patrol officer, district commander, and SWAT commander.    

 Sheriff Laney also presented an overview of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.  With a department of 166 people, including operation and management of the Cass County Jail, Sheriff Laney provided an excellent overview of the various opportunities for careers in the Criminal Justice Field.  

 Sheriff Laney also commented on the importance of education for those interested in Criminal Justice careers.  He stated that he and other law enforcement leaders are looking for qualified applicants from schools like Rasmussen and encouraged students to do well in their studies.   We are pleased Sheriff Laney was able to take time from his schedule to share his experience with our class. 

 www.geteducated.com

Get Educated gives $1,000 scholarships to students enrolled with a 3.0 GPA in online degree programs from accredited colleges. The last two winners have been students in criminal justice. 

The Council on Crime and Justice's General Crime Victim Services (GCVS) program has Crime Victim Advocate Volunteer and Intern positions available. Opportunities are available in our Minneapolis office (between the hours of 8am and 4pm), as well as volunteer/internship opportunities from home on the 24-hour hotline crisis line. 

The General Crime Victim Services Program was started over 30 years ago and offers free services to victims of crime in Minnesota , such as:

• 24 hour hotline operated by trained advocates who provide guidance, advocacy, & emotional support.

• Interpretation services for non-English speaking & hard of hearing crime victims.

• Referral to counseling, safe housing, low-cost legal assistance, & more.

• Explanation of the criminal justice system & its complex procedures.

• Information about crime victim rights in Minnesota .

• Facilitation of contact with other agencies.

• Assistance filing reparation claims & requesting restitution.

• Free emergency lock changes to ensure home safety when victims’ keys are stolen or his/her safety is at risk.

• Emergency funds to provide clients financial assistance in emergency situations due to their victimization

• Emergency cell phones with 911 access for victims without a phone.

• Assistance for victims of identity theft while recovering their good name and resolving potential credit problems.

• Court attendance with victims to provide support throughout the process.

• Car retrieval/Impound Lot assistance.

The Crime Victim Advocate Intern will work in the office, answering phone calls to the crisis line to provide active listening and resource referral. In addition, the Intern will conduct follow-up evaluation calls with crime victims, assist in data base management, and have the opportunity to provide in-court advocacy with crime victims. Training in victim services will be provided.  

For more information, or for an application, please contact:

A. Lori Saroya
Council on Crime and Justice
822 South 3rd St. Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-353-3005
saroyaa@crimeandjustice.org 

Sgt Joe Friday, a detective from Dragnet wore suits and trench coats in his daily pursuit of criminals in Los Angeles.  That was in the late 1960's however, today, in the age of "casual fridays" law enforcement detectives still believe the suit - "with extra material around the waist" (Hauser, 2008) to accomdate the host of tools necessarry to perform their jobs, is the essential attire to serve their communities.  Whether in the training academy wearing polyester patch uniforms to a patrol officer on the streets, law enforcment, requires wearing professional dress. 

Undercover work is a different scenario, requiring clothes that will make you fit in, or rather, not stand out.  But being a patrol officer or detective, wearing the uniform, including polished and shined shoes, or the suit and tie, are required when chasing down the bad guys.