SUNY Canton Sets Law Enforcement Day ‘Resilience and Recovery’ Presentations for Nov. 16

Please note - this event was originally scheduled for Monday, March 23, but was postponed in line with the college's evolving novel coronavirus (COVID-19) action plan and for concerns about the spread of the virus in large gatherings of people. 

The SUNY Canton Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity has scheduled a series of dynamic presentations focused around “Resilience and Recovery” for the college’s 10^th annual Law Enforcement Day.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 16 in the college’s Richard W. Miller Campus Center Kingston Theater. SUNY Canton extends an invitation to interested members of the community for the free event.

“SUNY Canton’s Law Enforcement Days are designed to introduce our students, faculty and any other interested parties to nationally renowned professionals in the field of criminal justice,” said Associate Professor of Practice Susan Buckley, who teaches in the college’s Criminal Justice programs. “This year’s presenters are professionals who have either dealt with trauma at a personal level or have worked with clients who were victimized. These victims have shown unbelievable resilience and tenacity in their lives and have come out on the other side.”

Law Enforcement Day presentations include:

• From 9 to 10:30 a.m. Investigator Kirk Pero of the Rochester Police Department, a certified forensic interviewer of children who is actively involved in several adult homicide investigations with children as witnesses will present about his work. One of his cases was featured on the A&E show “The First 48,” which follows homicide investigations as detectives work to solve murders during the critical two-day span after a crime.
• From 10:30 a.m. to noon Investigator Sayeh Rivazfar of the New York State Police, a board member of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and a child abuse survivor will discuss her own harrowing tale of abduction, assault and the murder of her younger sister. The 35-year-old state police investigator said “fighter” is a more accurate adjective than “survivor” to describe her refusal to give up. Rivazfar has become the voice for other victims.
• From 1 to 3:30 p.m. there will be a panel discussion on Human Trafficking with Cecilia Cortina, a human trafficking specialist for the Worker Justice Center of New York, Kingston office; Marilyn Morey, community outreach coordinator and victim witness specialist for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, and Carl J. Boykin, director of human trafficking prevention with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. 
• From 3:30 to 5 p.m. Sgt. Deanna Fink of the St. Paul, Minn., Police Department will present on persisting in the face of personal and vicarious trauma. Sgt. Fink has completed a number of undercover assignments including working with the USDA for food stamp fraud, during the Republican National Convention, and as a member of the St. Paul Police Department Vice Unit.  
• From 5 to 6 p.m. Keith Brown, director of community health at RPRT management consultants, will present on innovative approaches to mental health and the science of addiction. Brown works with states, municipalities, and organizations to advance health-based policies and strategies that address complex public health and safety issues. He serves as an expert in harm reduction, social determinants of health, case management, drug policy, and pre-arrest diversion.

For more information about the event and its presenters, please visit the Law Enforcement Day webpage.