Detention center chief to cover career opportunities
Chief Ramon Rustin, head of the Metropolitan Detention Center, will be speaking about law enforcement career options during the Criminal Justice Speaker Series next week, said Criminal Justice instructor Kevin Daugherty.
Rustin’s presentation will take place on April 11 from noon to 1 p.m. in Smith Brasher Hall room 100.
The field of law enforcement and corrections is so large that it is good to show students what areas that are available to them, said Daugherty. The series highlights these areas and shows how getting an education is important within this field, said Daugherty.
“Many areas within the law enforcement field have begun to professionalize, including corrections,” said Daugherty.
There are many options in the law enforcement field for those who may not be interested in a career as a police officer, said Criminal Justice instructor Kevin Dooley, who worked in corrections for 26 years. There are administrative, classification and other support positions available, but many of these require a bachelor’s degree, said Dooley.
“The series will help students get into the system if they want to make that a career, and they will know what to expect when they get there,” said Dooley
The criminal justice speaker series is a collaborative effort between CNM’s criminal justice program and Lewis University, said Daugherty. Lewis and CNM have an articulation agreement that allows graduates of the criminal justice program to transfer most of their credits toward a bachelor’s degree, said Daugherty.
The first speaker in the series was Deputy Chief Paiz of the Albuquerque Police Department, said Daugherty. She spoke on the trials and rewards of being a police officer, said Daugherty.
“It was initially supposed to be Chief Schultz but the mayor called him away at the last minute,” said Daugherty.
There will also be a question and answer portion of the presentation, said Daugherty. Students are encouraged to submit questions to Daugherty which will be asked by the moderator, he said. If time allows, there will also be an open question portion of the presentation, said Daugherty.
“Deputy Chief Paiz answered questions ranging from the benefits of being a police officer to various life issues, such as maternity leave” said Daugherty.
“The purpose of the series is to encourage students to pursue their degrees further,” said Daugherty.
The presentation is open to any student who wants to come to the presentation, said Daugherty. The speaker series will also help people who may not understand the way that the criminal justice system works to learn what is involved in the system, said Dooley.
“We are all touched, in our lives, by what law enforcement and corrections do, so it’s good to be more educated about it,” said Dooley.
Questions for Chief Rustin can be submitted to Mr. Daugherty at kdaugherty@cnm.edu.
