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U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal announced $120,000 in federal funding that will enable the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven to provide hands-on police training focusing on investigating hate crimes and shootings.

April 21, 2022

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

Makayla James 杏吧原版�23 and her classmates in her criminal law class recently had a unique opportunity to learn about the impact that the University of New Haven is having on the law enforcement community. Specifically, they learned about how a federal grant will support the development of an immersive new training opportunity.

The criminal law students and their professor, Daniel Maxwell, MPA, attended a press conference at the at the University during which announced $120,000 in federal funding for a new police training initiative. The grant will provide funding for the Institute to offer hands-on forensics training and workshops for state and local police.

杏吧原版淎s a student, this was a great opportunity,杏吧原版� said James, a psychology major with a concentration in forensic psychology. 杏吧原版淭his will be a great way to expand the trainings and the relationships between the community and law enforcement.杏吧原版�

'Accept scientific evidence'

The grant will support training for Connecticut police departments to investigate hate crimes and shootings. Speaking to students, faculty, staff, and the media, Sen. Blumenthal said that science plays a critical role in investigating such crimes.

杏吧原版淚t is science, more and more, that drives good law enforcement,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淚t杏吧原版檚 training in the science of law enforcement that will enable this great learning center to do even more. I杏吧原版檓 pleased this will continue to make the University of New Haven and the Lee Institute a leader in law enforcement and forensic science.杏吧原版�

World-renowned forensic scientist Henry C. Lee, Ph.D., discussed the importance of addressing and investigating hate crimes, noting that there were thousands of cases reported nationwide last year alone. He praised states杏吧原版� efforts to address them by creating laws, allocating funding, and creating special task forces, calling Connecticut recent announcement of the creation of a special hate crime task force 杏吧原版渨onderful.杏吧原版�

杏吧原版淓ach case is like a time bomb that can explode and destroy our country,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淲e need workshops for this type of training. Crime scene and physical evidence are most important, and we need the community and the public to accept scientific evidence.杏吧原版�

'It shows that people care'

Secured through the 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, the grant will enable the Institute to offer training on the prevention of community conflict and hate crimes, as well as topics such as crime scene security and preservation, crisis management, and forensic lab capabilities.

杏吧原版淭his is good for the University of New Haven and for the community,杏吧原版� said Adam Althen 杏吧原版�23, a criminal justice major and James杏吧原版檚 classmate. 杏吧原版淭his will be a great opportunity for criminal justice and forensic science training. Also, I杏吧原版檇 never met Dr. Lee before this, and it was inspirational to learn more about his work.杏吧原版�

Dr. Lee said he hopes there will be opportunities for the workshops to be offered in a hybrid format so that, in addition to the hands-on experiences that participants will have in person, there will be opportunities for additional virtual learning. He also hopes students will be able observe the training, and he discussed the importance of training the next generation of law enforcement professionals.

This was a message that Rebecca Harrington 杏吧原版�25, also a member of the criminal law class, was excited to hear. A psychology major with a concentration in forensic psychology and a minor in legal studies, she was grateful for the opportunity to witness real-world efforts to combatting crime.

杏吧原版淭his was amazing,杏吧原版� she said. 杏吧原版淚t made my time at the University to meet Dr. Lee. I also hope this training leads to better policework. This grant is important because it isn杏吧原版檛 just talk 杏吧原版� it shows that people care. It means a lot.杏吧原版�