This month, TMCC salutes Officer Bryan Berry for his upcoming honors at the 2017 Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Luncheon.
Henry Sotelo Appointed to County Board
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has appointed Truckee Meadows Community College Paralegal Director and Law Instructor Henry Sotelo to serve on the Washoe Regional Behavioral Health Policy Board.
“This appointment is an enormous honor—I’m proud to serve my fellow Nevadans and find solutions to problems that affect people's daily lives,” Sotelo said. “I look forward to the opportunity to work with fellow board members to develop world class behavioral health policy.”
He has been teaching at TMCC for 16-1/2 years.
Sotelo holds a Juris Doctorate from McGeorge University in Sacramento, and has practiced criminal law in Reno for more than 20 years. He has also served as a prosecutor in Washoe County District Court and Reno Municipal Court, and as a pro-tem judge in Reno Municipal Court. He advocates for positive criminal justice reform and an expanded specialty court system.
His term on the Washoe Regional Behavioral Health Policy Board is from Oct. 9 until July 1, 2018.
More information about the Paralegal and Law Program at TMCC can be found by calling 775-673-7098.
Officer Bryan Berry Is Honored
Officer William B. Berry, “Bryan” will be honored at the 2017 Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Luncheon for his work with the TMCC community.
The celebration takes place at the Nugget Casino Resort on Wednesday, Dec. 6, starting at 11 a.m.
“You have consistently made positive contributions to our community and profession, work diligently at establishing and maintaining an exemplary bond, in particular with the students and faculty at TMCC,” said Chief Adam Garcia, UNR Assistant Vice President and Director of University Police Services.
Officer Berry’s service includes volunteerism, as well.
“In the past year, you not only took part in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life Fundraiser, you also allowed the winning raffle holder, who was also a TMCC high school student, to shave your head,” Chief Garcia added. “In addition, your involvement in the many events at TMCC continues to build upon that positive atmosphere.”
Officer Berry’s desire to help others was his inspiration for a 30-year law enforcement career in California, during which he fulfilled assignments including the following:
- Training Officer
- Undercover Narcotics Officer
- Juvenile Crimes Investigator
- D.A.R.E. Instructor
- School Resource Officer
- Supervisor
In 2009, he was awarded the Medal of Valor in recognition of his bravery. Officer Berry retired from California law enforcement in 2012 and during the same year became a member of the TMCC Police Department. The consolidation with the University of Nevada, Reno Police Department took place in 2016, and Berry became an Officer for the newly formed University Police.
“You are the essence of what community-oriented policing is all about,” Chief Garcia said in a letter to Berry.
For more information about the University Police Services and the TMCC substation, call 775-674-7900.
Sarah Thomas Writes Feminist Criminology Article
Sociology Instructor Sarah Thomas grew up in a small Alaska town called North Pole.
When she traveled to Reno to see what it was like, she became smitten with the warmer weather, the mountains, and all of the activities that are available in the Truckee Meadows.
After graduating with a master’s degree in criminal justice at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), she began teaching part time at TMCC in Spring Semester 2016.
“I applied to TMCC to part-time teach because of my love of sharing with others sociology and the topics that interest me,” she said. “Additionally, I appreciated the smaller classes at TMCC, which I personally feel leads to a better teaching environment.”
She first became interested in the field of criminology because of the fascinating and age-old question of why people commit crimes.
“After doing my sociology classes as an undergrad, I started to realize how family and relationships seem to correlate with the likelihood of whether a person was to commit crime,” Thomas said. “I was especially intrigued by females who commit crimes, and that led to the focus in my article which takes a feminist perspective.”
Together with Jennifer Lanterman, she wrote the research article, “A National Analysis of Shackling Laws and Policies as They Relate to Pregnant Incarcerated Women.” It was published by the online journal Feminist Criminology on Nov. 3.
In the work, she describes many of the challenges that pregnant women experience when they are incarcerated, including shackling during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and recovery. The study outlines shackling laws and policies in various states, and examines whether these regulations are gender-specific in nature. Thomas and Lanterman discuss the implications of the state laws to help prison administrators and legislators better understand the potential effects of certain policies and procedures.
For more information, please contact Sarah Thomas in the TMCC Social Sciences Department at 775-673-7185.
Contributions to TMCC Good News are Welcome
Additional contributions for good news are welcome. If you have an achievement or volunteer experience to share with the TMCC community, please let us know.