Law Enforcement Expo coming to Harper

Representatives from area law enforcement agencies - including the Illinois State Police, Cook County Sheriff's Police and the Palatine and Schaumburg police departments - will visit Harper College on Monday, March 15, to offer an overview of what it takes to be an officer.

The event - timed to align with St. Patrick's Day, a holiday that typically generates more traffic fatalities - will highlight Harper's law enforcement programs and offer a real look at law enforcement careers at a time when popular shows like CSI and Law and Order dramatize the profession.

"We believe in these careers, and we know how important they are," says Harper Officer Thomas Koch, who helped organize the event. "Particularly in a time when people are really looking for jobs, we want to let them know the great opportunities available in law enforcement and what requirements are necessary to land a job."

The Palatine Police Department's traffic, canine and crime scene units will be showcased, and Harper's own police department will highlight its services and demonstrate "Fatal Vision" goggles that replicate a person driving while impaired.

The Law Enforcement Career and Traffic Safety Expo runs from noon-1:30 p.m. Monday, March 15, in the Student Center (Building A main floor), and is free and open to all. Enrollment in Harper's law enforcement program is up 13 percent this spring, compared to spring 2009. The college recently partnered with Northern Illinois University to offer a Bachelor of Applied Science in Management with a public safety emphasis - a degree attainable completely on Harper's campus. For more on Harper's law enforcement programs, visit harpercollege.edu.