During a seminar at Hudson County Community College (HCCC), two groundbreakināg women in law enforcement revealed how they overcame adversity in the male-dominated field.
Union City Chief of Polšice Nichellš«e Luster gave a speech as the keynote speaker discussing Women in Policing on March 12.
Communitšy members, students, and law enforcement professionals were invited to attend the Urban Policing Institute (UPI) event on Thursday, March 12, in the HCCC STāEM Building, 263 Academy Street in Jersey City.
The presenters shared their triumphs, and divulge the issues and roadblocksš ° to success that women in law enforcement often face. Attendees asked questions about policing challenges and solutions.
Luster spokeš on āWomen Succeeding in the Policing Profession.ā In 2018, Luster became the first female Chief of Police in Hudson County history.
Luster first joined the Union City Police Department in 19š¼94, working as a patrol officer in the investigative division, and on loan to the Hudson County Prosecutorās Office, Homicidše Squad.
Afterward, sheš« served as a supervisor in various capacities, including as Investigative Division Commander, Patrol Division Commander, and Prź©²ofessional Standards Division Commander, and the Departmentās first Accreditation Manager.
In addition to her long career in Union City, Luster has eāarned a number of accreditations in New Jersey and outside thź§e state.
Luster is a certified Crisis Negotiator through the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration, and is an adjunct profš§essor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Bias against female officers
The other keynote š³speaker was Essex County Prosecutorās Office veteran Quovella Spruill.
Spruill discussed āImpicit Bias Against Female Offiź©²cers.ā She became the first woman and African-American Chief of Detectives in the Essex County Prosecutorās Office (ECPO) in 2016.
Spruill joined the ECPO in 1998, and has since served as Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy Chief, aš§ønd Chief of Detectives. She has commanded several units during her career, including Internal Affairs, Bias Crimes,š Corruption, and Homicide.
Spruill š„holds aļ·½ Bachelorās degree in Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and a Masterās degree in Human Resources Training and Development from Seton Hall University. She is an adjunct professor at Rutgers Universityās School of Criminal Justice, and a visiting professor at DeVry University.
The Urban Policing Institute
Spruill and Luster āspoke at the seminar held annually by the Urban Policing Institute at HCCC.
The Urban Policing Institute was founded by Keith Stith, Chief of Detectives at the Hudson County Prošsecutorās Office (HCPO), and Richard Walker, Criminal Justice Lecturer at the College.
Stith wą²as the first African-American to be promoted to the position he currently holds as Chief of Detectives in the HCPO. Stith has worked with Walker to promote better policing policies throughout the county through the Urban Policing Institute.
Walker takes an active role in teaching students beyond the classroom. His students have toured North Bergen Police šøand Hudson County Sheriffās offices and met with police.
The Urban Policing Institute, which is not affiliated with the Criminal Justice Program at Hudson County Community College, planšs to hold additional seminars this spring, roundtables this summer, and commuānity forums in the fall.
Fouź©µnders Stith and Walker plan to continue these events on an annual basis. HCCC offers an Associate in Science degree in Criminal Justice onsite or online.
According to HCCC, the field of Criminal Justice includes law enforcement, investigations, court and adminisātrative services, corrections, private āsecurity, and juvenile justice.
For more information about the HCCC Crimšinal Justice program, š°visit .
For updates on this and other stories, check www.iccwins98.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
