USF hosts law enforcement conference this week

September 19, 2018

Today the University of Sioux Falls is honored to welcome over 250 law enforcement agents to its campus for the Dakota Chapter conference of the Midwest Gang Investigators Association. Darin Young, chief warden and director of prison operations for the South Dakota Department of Corrections gave opening remarks this morning.

The event will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. September 19-20 in Meredith Auditorium of the Jeschke Fine Arts Center. The event is available to USF faculty, students and staff on Thursday and media is welcome, and law enforcement officers only on Wednesday. 

Thursday’s featured speaker is Jay Dobyns, a federal agent and gang investigator best known for infiltrating the notorious Hells Angels. Dobyn’s book about that investigation, “No Angel, My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels”, is a New York Times and international bestseller.

University of Sioux Falls has over 100 students majoring in Criminal Justice and Sociology, and those students are headed into careers in law enforcement, law and corrections. USF has sent students to federal and state police agencies throughout the country, and the same is true with law schools. Graduates go everywhere from University of South Dakota School of Law to Georgetown Law to Hawaii Law.

“Networking events such as this one are one of the reasons USF has been so successful in placing students into jobs and grad schools,” said Beth O’Toole, USF professor of criminal justice who helped facilitate the conference. “We have strong community partnerships with agencies and programs, and our students graduate with a strong academic preparation, established relationships with practitioners, and internship and service experience.”

October 1-3, USF welcomes the South Dakota Supreme Court to campus for its October term. The Court will hear oral arguments in three cases. Court sessions are open to the public.