November 27, 2017

Program starts partnership with Duluth Police Department

UW-Superior Criminal Justice Concentration majors have a new pre-professional learning opportunity with the Duluth Police Department through the UW-Superior-DPD Mentor Program.

This is the first community partnership of its kind in the region between UW-Superior’s Legal Studies - Criminal Justice Program and the Duluth Police Department

Five students in University of Wisconsin-Superior Criminal Justice concentration have a new pre-professional learning opportunity with the Duluth Police Department through the UW-Superior-DPD Mentor Program. Lane Empson, Benjamin Dorff, Emily Lear, Jarid Rankila and Christopher Cassandro applied and were accepted to be the first mentee cohort from UW-Superior.

Participating officers and DPD leaders include Lt. Andrew Mickus, investigator Mike Peterson, Officer Todd Shermer, Officer Mike Renier, Officer Kaine Kaase, Officer Nick Stauber and Officer Jared Warneke. Each officer volunteered to serve as a one-to-one mentor in this pilot program.

“This is a refreshing new approach to providing in field learning opportunities for our students," said Dr. Maria Stalzer Wyant Cuzzo, Program Coordinator. "The Duluth Police Department is a stellar organization that can allow our students to check out their interest in law enforcement while also spending quality time with law enforcement professionals in one to one settings. It is a win-win situation for both institutions and for our great and talented students.”

In the mentor program, each student is assigned a specific police patrol officer mentor for a four-month period for one to one mentoring. Students have the opportunity to participate in the in-house Duluth Police Department Academy, a premier professional training program that offers in-field preparation to newly hired DPD officers. The training topics include training in Emergency Vehicle Operation (EVOC), Use of Force Principles and Practice, Verbal Defense and Influence, Fair and Impartial Policing, Field Sobriety Testing and many more. The students can select which topics they have interest in attending to reflect their genuine interests in the law enforcement field.

This is the first community partnership of its kind in the region between UW-Superior's Legal Studies - Criminal Justice Program and the Duluth Police Department.

For more information, please contact Program Coordinator Dr. Maria Stalzer Wyant Cuzzo at mcuzzo@uwsuper.edu or (218) 591-8488 .

UW-Superior Criminal Justice Concentration majors have a new pre-professional learning opportunity with the Duluth Police Department through the UW-Superior-DPD Mentor Program.