Saint Leo University will begin its 2021-2022 Criminal Justice Speaker Series on Wednesday, November 10. The events are open to the public, students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The events are a great opportunity for those who are serving or interested in law enforcement or criminal justice.

The university is hosting this free series at the Ocala Education Center Ocala Education Center, 1930 S.W. 38th Ave., Ocala, FL 34474, and online via Zoom. All sessions will be held 1-3 p.m.

The sessions will be taught by some of the most respected professionals in their field and will cover a range of topics from assisting victims of trauma to police reform.

Certification credit may be available for those attending if approved by the appropriate law enforcement agency.

The sessions include:

  • Responding to Victims of Trauma, from 1 to 3 p.m., Wednesday, November 10. Presenting will be Captain Mike Schentrup, who retired in 2021 as a bureau commander for the Gainesville (FL) Police Department, where he worked for almost 25 years. The majority of his career has been spent in investigative units, including major case detective, gang and burglary unit sergeant, and ultimately the division commander for detectives. Schentrup has a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in sociology, with an emphasis on criminal justice and has recently attended the Police Executive Research Forum's Senior Management Institute for Police and International Association of Chiefs of Police's, Leadership in Police Organizations course. He has three previously published articles on sexual violence response and presented at the 2018 and 2020 End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) conference and the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault 2019 annual conference on Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking. He is the owner/ lead trainer of Advanced Police Concepts. 
  • Testifying Made Easy, from 1 to 3 p.m., Wednesday, February 9, 2022. The speaker is Dr. Christine Sereni-Massinger, associate professor of public safety administration at Saint Leo University. A former state prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, and elected Pennsylvania's youngest female judge, Sereni-Massinger will speak about preparing law enforcement officers to testify in court. She will explain the most effective ways to testify and explain how to avoid common tricks and traps of defense council in cross examination. 
  • Police Reform, from 1 to 3 p.m., Thursday, April 14, 2022. This training is by Saint Leo University's instructor of criminal justice, Charlotte F. Braziel, who will discuss the history of police reform; what police reform looks like post-George Floyd's death in 2020, and how will police reform change policing in the future. 

Braziel retired from the FBI after serving 26 years. She served as a special agent and specialized in white collar crime, bank fraud, major organized crime, human trafficking, and terrorist investigation. Braziel was the senior team leader for the Tampa Evidence Response Team and was hazardous material- and weapons of mass destruction-certified. She was certified as an FBI Instructor and has taught crime scene management, case management, informant development, presentation skills and defensive tactics classes internationally and domestically.

To register, email ocala@saintleo.edu or call (352) 671-3391.

You may also register at the following links:

November 10, 2021 - https://calendar.saintleo.edu/event/2557-criminal-justice-speaker-seriesFebruary 9, 2022 - https://calendar.saintleo.edu/event/2558-criminal-justice-speaker-seriesApril 14, 2022 - https://calendar.saintleo.edu/event/2559-criminal-justice-speaker-series

For more information or special accommodations, contact Rena Rolfsen at Rena.rolfsen@saintleo.edu or call (352) 671-3391.

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