Elizabethtown College’s Criminal Justice Department recently hosted the Pennsylvania State Police Building Bridges Campus Forum, featuring Trooper Joseph Dunsmore on Feb. 28.
“Building Bridges ties into Etown’s Criminal Justice Program by providing real-world experiences for students and supporting the College’s mission to Educate for Service,” Director of the Criminal Justice Program and Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Dr. Kadee Crandall said. “This opportunity allows students to ask questions now so they can become highly respected and educated leaders in the criminal justice system.”
The Forum was designed as an open discussion to give citizens increased knowledge about law enforcement to create a safe, peaceful environment.
“Open discussions between law enforcement and the community are important to strengthen or rebuild trust and transparency,” Crandall said. “These opportunities allow the community to learn policy, understand incident response, and address social issues.”
At the Forum, Dunsmore shared how the state police are working to bridge gaps between community and law enforcement and create a safer society by emphasizing transparency, open dialogue, and education.
Dunsmore began the program after having a conversation with his children and realizing the Pennsylvania State Police needed to do a better job communicating their policies with the public. A key part of transparency is community engagement, Dunsmore explained, which can be accomplished through initiatives such as the Building Bridges Forum.
“I want to make sure I do what I can to create safer law enforcement to citizen interactions through transparency,” Dunsmore said. “If we’re not willing to sit down at a table and have a conversation, we can’t get upset if people want to cast us in the same net as bad police officers.”
During Dunsmore’s discussion, he encouraged students to review state police policy and contact representatives if they find something they disagree with. Students were able to ask Dunsmore questions about his experience in the Pennsylvania State Police, policies the state police enforce and general questions about interactions between law enforcement and citizens.
“It is highly encouraged that students interact with all law enforcement professionals to learn and understand their rights as citizens, the role of law enforcement and are provided the opportunity to ask questions,” Crandall said.
Etown’s student-led Criminal Justice Club plans to collaborate with Dunsmore for upcoming learning opportunities at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and the forensics lab at Harrisburg Regional Laboratory.
About Etown’s Criminal Justice Program
Students majoring in Criminal Justice at Elizabethtown College gain a strong ability to conduct research, analyze information, and think critically about topics like relationship building and community interactions. This major prepares students to be employed in Criminal Justice related fields with skills that set them apart from graduates of other programs or to enter a graduate degree program in a related field. Learn more.
