ALTOONA, Pa. — Members of the Pennsylvania State Police’s (PSP) Use of Force Unit provided a “Realities of Use of Force” workshop at Penn State Altoona in early April.
The workshop provided Penn State Altoona criminal justice students and members of Saint Francis University’s criminal justice club with instruction on case law, departmental policy and the application of force in the context of law enforcement.
Students then had the opportunity to participate in hands-on exercises using virtual simulators similar to those used to train PSP cadets.
“This kind of training is important for undergrads who want to pursue a career in law enforcement,” says senior criminal justice student Devlin Glenn. “I think the workshop encouraged great discussion and learning.”
“The hands-on experience was really beneficial,” adds Lilliana DeMarco, a junior studying criminal justice. “It put a new perspective on what we have been learning in the classroom.”
Students in Penn State Altoona’s criminal justice organization (CJO) and the Integrated Social Science Lab (ISSRL) worked together to bring the workshop to campus for the second year.
Nicholas J. Rowland, distinguished professor of sociology and co-director of the ISSRL, says the Use of Force unit comprises highly professional experts in the field, and students are lucky to learn from them.
“As someone who aspires to be a state trooper, I was grateful to learn skills that can be transferable to my professional career,” says Penn State Altoona criminal justice student Ally Black. “Activities like these have become standard in the Criminal Justice program at Altoona, and I am so thankful that I came here to study.”
CJO and ISSRL members were excited to invite their counterparts from Saint Francis to the workshop.
“Providing access to educational opportunities like these is what we do. It’s part of our mission as a land-grant institution,” says Nathan E. Kruis, associate professor of criminal justice and co-director of the ISSRL. “We want to ensure that the future leaders of the criminal justice system in our area and nationally have access to the best education and training possible.”
“The training offered by the Pennsylvania State Police provided students and attendees with an educational overview of the legalities, ethical, and tactical considerations in decision making regarding the appropriate use of force in interactions with the public,” says Mark Buckwalter, assistant professor of criminal justice at Saint Francis University. “The PSP simulator afforded an excellent experiential learning opportunity for students to practice what they learned.”
CJO and the ISSRL plan to provide a similar workshop in the future.
The ISSRL is embedded in the criminal justice and sociology programs at Penn State Altoona and made possible by Penn State Altoona’s Division of Business, Health, Humanities and Social Sciences, headed by Nicholas L. Pyeatt, professor of political science.