Spring break in the Caribbean for some Monroe College Criminal Justice faculty members was not quite what you might think. The week of April 16, CJ chairman William McDonald, Ph.D. and four Monroe professors trained seventy-five corporals and sergeants of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force in crime fighting tactics and criminal justice philosophy.

“We were told by local officials and journalists that this was very necessary,” said Professor McDonald upon his return to the college. “And since we have the expertise on our Monroe faculty and forty-five Monroe students are Saint Lucians, we felt duty bound to support them.” Along with Professor McDonald, Professors Kim Collica, Mark Juliano, Ramesh Sinanan, and Bill Carter provided four days of workshops and seminars on police leadership and management, women in policing, and initiatives in community policing with a focus on youth.

The faculty volunteered their time and the expenses were covered by Monroe College.  The unarmed, nine-hundred member Royal Saint Lucia Police Force serves a largely impoverished community. “We visited precincts and schools and really believe we had an impact on their quality of life,” said Professor McDonald. “That’s why we’re planning to return sometime soon to assist in forensics and their Corrections Department.”