The Monroe College School of Criminal Justice is expanding its innovative relationship with the Royal St. Lucia Police Force to include additional training and make degree programs available to the officers. Last spring, four Monroe professors went to St. Lucia to provide workshops for seventy-five corporals and sergeants in crime fighting tactics and criminal justice philosophy.

Beginning in January, 2007, thirty St. Lucia police officers will be officially enrolled in the college’s undergraduate program, studying in a blended-learning format of online and classroom instruction

This is an extension of our mission to provide quality practitioner education to the criminaljustice community, not only here in New York, but quite literally, all over the world,” said Dr.William McDonald, the Chairman of the School of Criminal Justice.

Our extensive Distance Learning Program in Criminal Justice is a natural fit in helping fill the void of CJ Bachelor Programs in the Caribbean.” The custom-made program is designed to develop professional expertise in crime-fighting tactics, research and forensics methodology, administrative and organizational skills, and a greater understanding of the modern science of criminal justice.

Monroe CJ Professor Ramesh Sinanan is coordinating many of the program’s details, like use of the St. Lucia Police Academy’s Computer Center, funding through the Royal St. Lucia Police Credit Union, and regular visits to St. Lucia by Monroe College professors to conduct workshops, lectures and demonstrations. Also, to facilitate the program, Monroe will be donating books to help start a criminal justice library in St. Lucia. With the Royal St. Lucia Police collaboration as a working pilot, the School of Criminal Justiceis currently pursuing similar relationships with crime fighters elsewhere in the Caribbean, including Trinidad and Barbados.