Diversity in the Law Enforcement

Steve Adubato speaks with Huda Shalabi, student at Berkeley College, and Gary Krulish, Co-Chair, Justice Studies at Berkeley College School of Professional Studies, who discuss diversity in law enforcement.

12/7/17 #2091

Excerpt:

"We are pleased to welcome Gary Krulish, who is Co-Chair, Justice Studies, Berkeley College School of Professional Studies, and Huda Shalabi is a student at Berkeley College. I want to thank you both for joining us. Thank you. What are you studying right now? My... I'm studying national security, and I will be graduating with my bachelor's degree in May, and I just received my associates degree from Berkeley College in May. That's beautiful. You know, every time we have someone from Berkeley, talks about the student connection to it. I'm fascinated by where the students come from, where they're going, but your program is unique. Talk about the key components of it. I think the key components are the faculty and the classroom. We try to emphasize having individuals that have the credibility, and not just on the street, but on the academic credentials. Some may call it scholarly practitioners. So a lot of people can talk about a textbook, talk about what's going on in the field, but it's also important at Berkeley to realize that we want individuals in the classroom to engage with the students, that it's not just things that are in the textbook. There's a lot of things that are not going to be in the text. What are some of the key areas in your department? In our department? The legal profession, the national security focus on... Cybersecurity matter? Yes. Cybersecurity is very important. The law enforcement piece I'm fascinated by. You have a desire to enter law enforcement? Yes. Where? In your hometown? In my hometown, Paterson. Paterson? Yes. One of the most diverse communities in the nation. Why law enforcement for you? It's a passion of mine. I've been wanting to go in law enforcement since I was a child. And when I was 10 years old, I realized when I came home from school, my dad's equipment had been stolen from his backyard, and it left a pink residue on the floor, and it led to my driveway, and up to the street to the suspect's house. So I probably shouldn't have followed the tracks as a child by myself. I came home and I told my parents, and they were very surprised. So my dad called the cops, and once they came, the detective spoke to me and said, "You solved this. You can be a detective or a cop with a great mind like that." And that just inspired me to actually take this seriously, that this is... maybe I can... this is how I can help the community. Because law enforcement is, potentially, a very dangerous job, how supportive have your parents been? Oh they're very supportive of me. They want me to... they want..."