Left to right: Henry C. Lee, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, and Danielle Wozniak, provost and vice president for academic affairs. Credit: UNH
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) announced $120,000 in federal funding for the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven to provide local police with the latest hands-on training for investigating hate crimes and shootings.
“Forensic science—collecting, preserving & analyzing complex evidence—is critical to effective prosecution & public safety. I fought for this significant grant to provide such expertise, after listening to police & knowing its importance from my own law enforcement experience," said Blumenthal.
With the federal grant, the Institute will offer trainings and workshops to Connecticut police departments and investigators on prevention of community conflict and hate crimes, crisis management, crime scene security and preservation, forensic lab capabilities, and other urgent priorities. Speaking to students, faculty, staff, and the media, Blumenthal said science plays a critical role in investigating such crimes.
“It is science, more and more, that drives good law enforcement,” he said. “It’s training in the science of law enforcement that will enable this great learning center to do even more. I’m pleased this will continue to make the University of New Haven and the Lee Institute a leader in law enforcement and forensic science.”
World-renowned forensic scientist Henry C. Lee discussed the importance of addressing and investigating hate crimes, noting that there were thousands of cases reported nationwide last year alone. He praised states’ efforts to address them by creating laws, allocating funding, and creating special task forces, calling Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont’s recent announcement of the creation of a special hate crime task force “wonderful.”
“Each case is like a time bomb that can explode and destroy our country,” he said. “We need workshops for this type of training. Crime scene and physical evidence are most important, and we need the community and the public to accept scientific evidence.”
Secured through the 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, the grant will enable the Institute to offer training on the prevention of community conflict and hate crimes, as well as topics such as crime scene security and preservation, crisis management, and forensic lab capabilities.
Lee said he hopes there will be opportunities for the workshops to be offered in a hybrid format so that, in addition to the hands-on experiences that participants will have in person, there will be opportunities for additional virtual learning. He also hopes students will be able observe the training, and he discussed the importance of training the next generation of law enforcement professionals.
Republished courtesy of University of New Haven.