Former chief named to state police task force

Former Cloquet police chief Wade Lamirande was recently appointed to a statewide task force on law enforcement education reform.

Now the law enforcement program coordinator at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, Lamirande will join some 30 other task force members in examining current law enforcement education programs at state colleges and universities using an anti-racism and equity-focused lens. The action is one element of a multi-prong approach to law enforcement education reform being taken in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.

The school system is known collectively as Minnesota State. A total of 93 academic programs in law enforcement, criminal justice, and related fields are offered on 24 campuses.

This summer, Lamirande told the Pine Knot News that the police actions that led to the death of George Floyd were the antithesis of everything they teach in the law enforcement program at FDLTCC.

He makes that clear in the very first interview with a prospective law enforcement student.

"I tell new students coming into our program that if you are here with that warrior mentality, if you are here to exert your will over other people, drive cars fast, shoot guns, we don't want you," he said. "We do not teach this in our program. And if you make it through our program [and still have that warrior mentality], you will be the officers that will be giving all the other officers a bad name."

Lamirande's professional experience covers 26 years in law enforcement as a chief of police, detective and patrol officer in Cloquet, plus completion of FBI National Academy Leadership Training.

He said he was happy to be selected for the state post and appreciates that the voice of the combined tribal and community college will be heard. "We've always tried to be cutting edge. It's nice we will be at the front end if there are some changes made."

Minnesota State chancellor Devinder Malhotra pointed out that the colleges and universities are an essential resource for meeting the workforce needs of the state, including the workforce needs of professional peace officers.

"We are in a unique position to guide meaningful reform of law enforcement education," Malhotra said. "Our role will focus on directly addressing issues of racism and social justice by producing graduates who are culturally competent and ready to serve and protect all of our communities, regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin."

The taskforce represents a wide, diverse, and inclusive cross-section of stakeholders, including police officers, minority and mental health advocacy organizations to high school superintendents and college presidents.

Lamirande said the group discussed cultural competency at its first meeting. He said he's expecting the group will recommend adding a cultural diversity class to the law enforcement training program. He supports that, but said something else will likely have to be removed or reduced to make room in a course with 68 credits and more than 500 learning objectives already.

Approximately 86 percent of Minnesota graduates in law enforcement graduated from one of the Minnesota State schools.