All posts by SPCWPAdmin

Dog Days of Summer BBQ: K-9 Officer Shared Story of Loss and a New Start

Public Safety - All
Barbara Baugher, Pinellas County Schools Police Department, Luna, To The Rescue Canine in Training (St. Petersburg College – College of Public Safety Administration)
Barbara Baugher, Pinellas County Schools Police Department, Luna, To The Rescue Canine in Training (St. Petersburg College – College of Public Safety Administration)

SPC’s College of Public Safety students, faculty and staff members attended the Dog Days of Summer BBQ last Tuesday, July 14th. In addition to enjoying a delicious BBQ lunch, catered by Port-A-Pit, students, faculty and staff were provided with the opportunity to listen to Officer Barbara Baugher’s story about how she lost her K-9 partner. It’s not unusual to hear on the news how K-9 officers and their K-9 partners are busy fighting crime. However, what does seem uncommon is to hear about about the loss of a K-9 partner from an officer’s perspective. Officer Baugher graciously shared her story at the BBQ luncheon.

Marianne Seay, Student Life & Leadership Coordinator at SPC Allstate, shared: “Barbara Baugher from the Pinellas County Schools Police Department came out to talk about how she recently lost her K-9 partner to a sudden illness. She brought along with her Amanda Hanson, Training Director from To The Rescue Dog Training. Amanda talked about how she rescues dogs and trains them with the possibility of having a law enforcement officer adopt them for their training needs.”

Regarding canine training needs, To The Rescue Dog Training provides training in:

  • Manners
  • Obedience
  • Behavior
  • Personal protection

To The Rescue Dog Training also provides service dog and therapy dog training services. Services are available to the public.

The BBQ was a success, and we want to say thank you to Officer Baugher for coming to the Allstate Center and so kindly sharing her inspirational story and to Amanda Hanson for talking about how she rescues dogs and gives them a new beginning.

If you are interested in learning more about To The Rescue Dog Training, you can call Amanda at 855-636-4911. Her email address is info@dogtrainingtotherescue.com. You can also click here To The Rescue Dog Training.

Smart Start Orientation Getting Started Offered at SPC College of Public Safety Fall 2015

Public Safety - All

smart start

Beginning Fall semester 2015,  all first-time SPC A.A. and A.S. degree seeking students will be required to take Smart Start Orientation (SSC 1101) which is a non-credit class that is free to the student and facilitated by student support staff. This new orientation program focuses on student success and will guide students as they transition to the SPC community.

Prior to the beginning of the Fall semester, students are required to attend the first session of Smart Start Orientation called Getting Started to help prepare them for their first week of classes. Angel Bates, Career and Academic Advisor at SPC Allstate, expresses: “During the Getting Started session of SSC 1101, students will review the following topics:

  • Importance and use of their SPC email account
  • How to access online course content & faculty correspondences in MyCourses
  • Complete a Digital Literacy exam to review level of technology knowledge
  • SPC Academic policies as they relate to add/dropping courses
  • Complete a campus tour to learn about the availability and location of student support services

Students are encouraged to take the Getting Started component of SSC 1101 at the SPC campus that they plan to take most of their courses at regardless of their major at SPC. This will allow students to become familiar with campus-based resources they will have access to as well as the opportunity to build a connection with student support staff they will interact with through out the semester.” Below are the dates and times of the Getting Started sessions that are being offered at the Allstate Center for the Fall 2015 term:

  • Friday, July 17th, 9:30am – 11:00am, Allstate Room 105
  • Wednesday, July 22nd, 5:30pm – 7:00pm, Allstate Room 105
  • Monday, July 27th, 5:30pm – 7:00pm, Allstate Room 105
  • Wednesday, August 12th, 5:30pm – 7:00pm, Allstate Room 105

Stacy King, Student Support Assistant at SPC Allstate, noted: “It’s exciting to hear that SPC is offering the Smart Start Orientation program. Smart Start Orientation will help students finish what they start at SPC because they start strong!”

Students can reach out to Angel Bates at bates.angel@spcollege.edu or Shana Sapp at sapp.shana@spcollege.edu for more information or to get registered for Getting Started at the Allstate Center.

 

SPC College of Public Safety Expands Student Services: PERT Testing Now Available at Allstate

Public Safety - All
SPC College of Public Safety Test Center (Photo: St. Petersburg College – College of Public Safety Administration)
SPC College of Public Safety Test Center (Photo: St. Petersburg College – College of Public Safety Administration)

SPC’s College of Public Safety has expanded their Student Services offerings. For the first time in the history of the SPC Allstate Center, College Placement Testing services are now being offered to better meet student’s needs.

There are several benefits to taking the College Placement Test. The benefits include:

  • Determines college readiness
  • Helps students determine what classes to take
  • Pinpoint subject areas needing additional study

SPC encourages all incoming students to take a placement test. That’s one of the best ways to predict readiness for college work. And it’s free the very first time you take the test at SPC!

The College Placement Test being offered at the College of Public Safety is called the PERT. According to McCann Associates, PERT stands for Post-Secondary Education Readiness Test (2011). The PERT assesses three main subject areas: reading, writing and math. The PERT is linear meaning that each subsequent question is based on the previous question. The test takes on average 60 minutes per subject area to complete, and results are available immediately after the test has been completed.

To help students prepare for the placement test, SPC offers study guides. You can click here to access the PERT Study Guide. You can click here to access additional helpful resources How Do I Prepare for My Placement Test? The PERT Scale Score Sheet highlights what your scores mean.

The Allstate Center Student Services staff invite you to stop and check out the new Testing Center, which is located in room 114A. For the summer semester, the Testing Center hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: by appointment only; Wednesday: walk-in appointments available. The last test starts at 4:30pm and must be completed by 7:00pm. Students can call 727-302-6478 or email publicsafetyadvising@spcollege.edu for more information and/or to schedule an appointment.

Shana Sapp, Student Support Manager at the Allstate Center, expresses: “This is an exciting time for the Allstate Center! Prior to July 1st, 2015, the Student Services team referred new students to a nearby SPC campus for placement testing. Now, students can apply to SPC, take the PERT, and enroll in courses all at the same campus. We hope this will streamline the enrollment process for students who begin their journey at the Allstate Center.”

Check out the SPC College Placement Testing webpage for more details.

SPC College of Public Safety Law Enforcement Academy PRC 196 Graduation

Public Safety - All, Training Academies
From left to right: Chief Robert Vincent, Gulfport Police Department; Assistant Chief Melanie Bevan, St. Petersburg Police Department; Chief Daniel Slaughter, Clearwater Police Department; Chief Michael Haworth, Pinellas Park Police Department; Lt. Armand Boudreau, Treasure Island Police Department; Dr. Anne Cooper, Senior Vice President of Instruction & Academic Programs; Dr. Brian Frank, AC FDLE Training Center Director; Mike DiBuono, Academy Coordinator; Paul Andrews, Academy Coordinator (Photo: St. Petersburg College – College of Public Safety Administration)
From left to right: Chief Robert Vincent, Gulfport Police Department; Assistant Chief Melanie Bevan, St. Petersburg Police Department; Chief Daniel Slaughter, Clearwater Police Department; Chief Michael Haworth, Pinellas Park Police Department; Lt. Armand Boudreau, Treasure Island Police Department; Dr. Anne Cooper, Senior Vice President of Instruction & Academic Programs; Dr. Brian Frank, AC FDLE Training Center Director; Mike DiBuono, Academy Coordinator; Paul Andrews, Academy Coordinator (Photo: St. Petersburg College – College of Public Safety Administration)

On Wednesday, June 24th, the SPC Allstate Center graduated 26 cadets from the Law Enforcement Academy. Police Recruit Class # 196 was made up of members who moved from as far away as New York and Illinois to those who grew up in our local communities. The class started out with 31 members who had gone through rigorous background checks and testing just to be eligible. Eight of the graduating members will report immediately for additional training at the St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park Police Departments. Several others are in the hiring process with agencies in Pinellas County and others as far away as Highlands and Hernando counties.

The students who graduated completed 790 hours of training in eighteen required topics. Those courses included:

  • Introduction to Law Enforcement
  • Legal
  • Interactions in a Diverse Community
  • Interviewing and Report Writing
  • Fundamentals of Patrol
  • Calls for Service
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Crime Scene to Courtroom
  • Critical Incidents
  • Traffic Stops
  • DUI Traffic Stops
  • Traffic Crash Investigations
  • Vehicle Operations
  • First Aid
  • Firearms
  • Defensive tactics
  • Physical Fitness
  • Dart Firing Stun Gun

The students were required to pass a written examination at the end of each course. Many of the courses, such as Firearms, Defensive Tactics, Vehicle Operations, and others, require the students to meet proficiency standards before they can successfully complete the course.

The graduates must now prepare for their State Officer Certification Examination, which they must pass in order to be granted their certification by the State of Florida. Our training center boasts a passing rate well above 90% on the State examination.

Once the students pass the examination, and begin employment as an officer, they will enter rigorous post academy training, which usually lasts about a month, followed by a Field Training Program that lasts at least fourteen weeks. All told, a new police officer will have endured approximately 40 weeks of full time training before they are released to patrol on their own. Many of our former graduates will return to our campus for advanced and specialized training later in their careers.

We wish them all well and thank them for their commitment to being professional police officers dedicated to keeping our communities safe for everyone. Anyone seeking more information on how to become a police officer can seek further information on the application and screening process at the Police Applicant Screening Service website.

You can find more information about SPC’s Public Safety Training Academies here: http://www.spcollege.edu/Academies/.

Contributor: Paul Andrews, Academy Coordinator

SPC’s Center for Public Safety Innovation hosted Public Safety Summer Camp

Public Safety - All
2015 Public Safety Summer Campers (Photo: St. Petersburg College – College of Public Safety Administration)
2015 Public Safety Summer Campers (Photo: St. Petersburg College – College of Public Safety Administration)

Public Safety Summer Campers wrapped up two weeks of action-packed fun and learning this past Friday. Middle school students who attended SPC’s 2015 Public Safety Summer Camp at the Allstate Center from June 8 – 19 experienced what it’s like to fight crime and protect the community. Forget watching CSI on TV!

From 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. campers got to experience the following:

Parents noted that they appreciated being able to drop off and pick up their campers at 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., respectively, at no extra charge.

The camp was designed by SPC’s Center for Public Safety Innovation to provide students with a broader perspective of the public safety profession. Campers learned internet safety skills and life-saving CPR, met a K-9 dog used by a Pinellas County School law enforcement officer, how to climb a rock wall, the physical requirements of a career in public safety and how to meet challenges that may seem insurmountable but that can be overcome.

The Public Safety Summer Camp set out to do the following:

  • Change young people’s perceptions of authority figures
  • Educate students about career choices in the field of public safety
  • Enhance campers’ self-esteem

Leo Cordero, Senior Camp Coordinator, noted  that “This year’s Public Safety Summer Camp expanded on a variety of public service professions to help students in selecting a career as they continue their academic journey. We encourage youth to further their education and consider careers in public safety.”

SPC’s Center for Public Safety Innovation is looking forward to offering this program again next summer at the Allstate Center. For more information on this year’s camp, please visit this website: https://www.spcollege.edu/public-safety-camp/.

College of Public Safety Administration hosts summer safety Lunch and Learn

Public Safety - All

Fire Training Center Director James Angle addresses the audience as Liz Montiforti and Lacy Stokes from Palm Harbor Fire Rescue wait to present to public safety students and staff about summer safety. (Photo: St. Petersburg College – College of Public Safety Administration)

SPC’s College of Public Safety Administration hosted a Lunch & Learn on June 11 for staff and students in Allstate Center’s Florida Room. The focus of the Lunch & Learn was to offer great tips for a safe and fun summer. After a summer, grilling-themed lunch, speakers took the podium.

With the help of the Student Government Association and SPC’s Fire Training Center Director James Angle, the Florida Suncoast Safe Kids Coalition discussed topics related to Summer Safety. Liz Montiforti, who has been with Palm Harbor Fire Rescue for 10 years, spoke on topics including grilling safety, pool safety and car seat safety. Her tips included:

  • Keep the grill at least three feet from your house
  • Make sure parents or guardians are taking turns watching children around pools or water
  • Hang a tag from your review mirror as a reminder to check the back seat for children or pets

Once Montiforti finished her part of the presentation, her colleague Lacy Stokes took the podium to discuss firearm safety. Her group presents at schools in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties about the importance of firearm safety and the relationship that her group has with local agencies and the communities.

She noted that firearm safety presentations are mandatory for third grade students, who are taught the importance of recognizing a real gun versus a toy gun. She also shared with the audience a phrase that she teaches students who live in a home with a firearm. The phrase is “Halt. Hands Off. Get Out and Get Help.”

The Florida Suncoast Safe Kids Coalition offers a helpful website filled with tips on how to have a safe and fun summer. If you are interested in learning additional summer safety tips we encourage you to check out their website.

Promising new partnership for cadets: SPC College of Public Safety, St. Pete Police and Lakewood HS

Public Safety Administration, Training Academies
holloway-lakewood-high-63
St. Petersburg Police Chief Holloway was at Lakewood High School Tuesday night to tell students interested in pursuing a law enforcement career about the Student Police Cadet Program. (Photo: St. Petersburg Police Dept.)

The St. Petersburg Police Department and St. Petersburg College of Public Safety Administration have joined with Lakewood High School to form a new Student Police Cadet Program.

The Student Police Cadet program is a pilot dual-enrollment program that will enable junior and senior level Lakewood High students to take criminal justice-related courses at SPC’s Allstate Center during the afternoon, giving them an early college classroom experience. In addition to taking classes at Allstate, students will receive additional Florida Department of Law Enforcement summer training. This training will qualify the students for civilian part-time employment with the St. Petersburg Police Department working in traffic enforcement and accident investigations.

Brian Frank, dean of SPC’s College of Public Safety Administration, has been instrumental in the development of the program.

“There are many benefits with this program that will not only offer education and employment for the student cadets. This new student cadet program will begin to foster a positive relationship with law enforcement and the St. Petersburg community. We will begin to establish a pipeline of pre-screened, qualified African-American law enforcement candidates with one year of work experience and college credits,” Frank said.

Benefits of the Student Police Cadet Program include:

  • After two years in the Lakewood program, students will earn 12 of the 30 required college credits to enter SPC’s Law Enforcement Academy
  • If the student is accepted into SPC’s Law Enforcement Academy, the St. Petersburg Police Department will cover the cost of academy tuition, uniforms and related expenses
  • The St. Petersburg Police Department will also pay each cadet $18.65 per hour during their time in the academy
  • The student cadet can continue to work as a civilian part-time employee with the St. Petersburg Police Department
  • Students gain valuable work skills, experience and specialized law enforcement training
  • Upon successful graduation from SPC’s Law Enforcement Academy, sworn officers receive an entry level salary of $45,381 annually with the St. Petersburg Police Department

To get more information on this story read:

Ethical Discussions: Legalizing the sale of kidneys

Ethics, General Education

The need for kidney transplants has been steadily growing in recent years. In the United States as well as many other countries, the need for kidney transplants is far greater than available donors. According to an article in the New York Times, in 2013 there were approximately 16,900 kidney transplants. However, this past September there were more than 100,000 patients who needed a kidney transplant. On average, in the United States, the waiting time for a kidney is close to 5 years. Over 4,000 people a year die waiting for a kidney transplant.

An article in the Wall Street Journal, written last year by a Nobel Prize winning professor of economics at the University of Chicago and another economics professor at the Universidad del CEMA in Argentina, discussed the need for kidney transplants and suggested that the solution to the current kidney shortage was to establish a market for organs. The authors estimated that the kidney shortage might be resolved by setting up a system by which individuals would receive an average payment of $15,000 to donate a kidney. Currently, the only country in which it is legal to sell a kidney is Iran.

A few years ago, a British academic created a stir when she suggested the idea that college students should be allowed to sell a kidney if they wished to do so, and that this could help the kidney shortage problem as well as enable college students to gain money to pay off debt. She stated that college students should be paid a set amount, around £28,000, to donate a kidney. That amount is equal to the average annual income in the United Kingdom.

Is it ethical to set up a system by which people can donate a kidney for money? Does this commodify the human body? Does this exploit people who are economically disadvantaged, or does it simply create an opportunity for them to make the decision to sell a kidney?

#spcethics

Ethical Discussions: National Security vs. Privacy Rights

Ethics

In June, 2013, Edward Snowden leaked top secret documents to the Washington Post and The Guardian which showed that the National Security Agency was conducting massive surveillance operations and was collecting information about U.S. citizens’ communications, emails, texts, and telephone records. This collection of data was authorized originally by President Bush pursuant to provisions of the Patriot Act.

Snowden’s disclosure fired off a national debate over the proper scope of the government’s surveillance powers, information privacy, and national security. Snowden himself has alternately been called a hero, a whistleblower, and a traitor.

On May 7, 2015, a federal court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, ruled that the National Security Agency’s collection of millions of Americans’ phone records violated the Patriot Act because the provision known as Section 215 could not reasonably be interpreted to mean that the collection of U.S. phone records was authorized in such a broad manner. The Court’s opinion reasoned that the Patriot Act gave the government the power to collect information relevant to counterterrorism investigations and not to collect bulk data on U.S. citizens’ phone records without a reasonable connection to a counterterrorism investigation.

On June 1, 2015, three sections of the Patriot Act are due to expire if not reauthorized by Congress. These are the provisions of the Act which have been used to allow the U.S. government to conduct roving wiretaps of suspected terrorists from phone to phone, to collect business records for counterterrorism investigations, and to tap so-called “lone wolf” suspects who are not a member of any known terrorist organization.

Was it ethical for Edward Snowden to reveal classified information?

Under what circumstances, if any, would it be ethical for the U.S. government to collect information about the private communications of its citizens?

#spcethics

Ethical Discussions: Anonymous social media networks

Ethics

Anonymous social networks have been increasing in popularity, particularly around college campuses. One such network, Yik Yak, allows users to post anonymous messages publicly to other users who are within a 1.5-mile radius. After its launch, the app quickly became a huge hit on high school and college campuses. According to a NYTimes article, Yik Yak is downloaded in the Apple App store more than any other anonymous social app.

Along with the app’s quick rise to popularity, there have been growing concerns regarding its use. The aspect of anonymity has enabled users to speak their minds freely, sometimes in a potentially harmful way. There are increasing concerns that Yik Yak is being used for cyber bullying, harassment, and hate speech. Due to such issues, the founders of Yik Yak made the decision to stop access to the app on high school campuses last year. More recently, according to an article in the Huffington Post, a federal complaint was filed on May 7, 2015 against the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. The complaint alleges that the University allowed a sexually hostile environment to continue by its failure in part to respond to complaints that Yik Yak was being used to post harassing comments and threats of violence against female students.

Supporters of anonymous social networks such as Yik Yak point to the importance and the value of freedom of speech. The creators of Yik Yak have stated that their intent was to level the playing field and to provide a platform for people who did not necessarily have a large number of followers. With Yik Yak, a person who posts can have their posts  read by a large audience, even if they do not have many followers. Some of the supporters of anonymous social networks have expressed the opinion that students are cognizant about how their comments online may affect their personal brand, and that this may discourage them from speaking up about certain topics.  They argue that forums such as Yik Yak may serve a positive purpose – that of providing a place for students to make controversial observations and to engage in controversial discussions.

Should anonymous social networks like Yik Yak be restricted from geographic areas around college campuses because of the potential for harm, or should they remain available in order to protect the right to freedom of speech?

#spcethics