Institute for Law & Justice

Institute for law and justice - wordmark logo

The Hilbert College Institute for Law and Justice is the only institute of its kind in Western New York that serves as a general support vehicle for law and justice-related issues and projects, such as community policing initiatives, workshops on anti-terrorism efforts, and ways to improve areas of social services.

The institute works to increase collaboration and communication between Western New York agencies and ultimately act as a clearinghouse of quality information on topics related to law and justice. With the use of research and evaluation it will increase awareness and enhance an understanding of organizations with ties to law and justice, from police departments to drug treatment programs.

The institute has four primary goals:

Help criminal justice and associated community support agencies produce positive community change.
Improve governmental, private and public inter-agency communications, promoting collaboration throughout the region.
Bring innovative and promising ideas to the local criminal justice community.
Establish at Hilbert a research-based institution that provides opportunities for faculty and students from all disciplines to grow intellectually.

Contact Us at Hilbert

Samuel M. Palmiere
Associate Director
(716) 926-8957
Email spalmiere

Barbara DeLaRosa
Administrative Assistant
(716) 926-8793
Email bdelarosa

Upcoming Trainings & Conferences

Street Gang Investigations

This course explores the current trends, identifiers, and dynamics of street gang investigations. Understanding and identifying gang culture both on the street and in correctional facilities requires investigators from both local law enforcement and corrections to work together and share information. The intent of this course is to prepare officers in both large and small agencies to properly identify and interdict gang activity in their respective jurisdictions, collect and manage their gang intelligence, and communicate this information with neighboring jurisdictions and correctional facilities. Many states have their own gang enhancement statue but is sometimes, never utilized to prosecute at the state level. The instructors of this course will show you how to take the evidence and stored gang intelligence in your gang case, and apply it in the courtroom. Not all street gangs establish themselves with a nationally recognized gang name.

The instructors will provide reasonable explanations why their local hybrid street gangs are just as violent, and dangerous as nationally recognized gangs are in larger cities. This class will explain the command structure, membership requirements, and adopted signs and symbols, hybrid gangs will create. Additional gang evidence will also be covered such as step-by-step examples of how to testify as a gang expert, drug trafficking expert, armed subject expert, and cellphone records expert in court, to assist your state’s attorney’s office in prosecuting your local gang members. This course will also explain why your gang investigation unit plays an important role in community trust and show examples of how to build those relationships between police and community.

Masks are required regardless of vaccination state.

Location: Swan Auditorium | 5200 South Park Ave Hamburg NY, 14075
Date & Time: May 9 - 11, 2022 from 8:30 am - 4pm | Registration is at 8 am
Cost: Free
Questions? Call (717) 861-2070
Registration Details:

Visit the Northeast Counterdrug Training Center’s website at www.counterdrug.org
Log into your NCTC account (an NCTC account is required to register for training)
Find the training that you would like to register for under Upcoming Training and select “Register”
Agree to the Terms and Conditions
Click on “Register”

This event is hosted by the US Attorney’s Office Western District of NY, Erie County Law Enforcement Foundation, Inc., Northeast Counterdrug Training Center, Erie County Chiefs of Police Association, Hilbert College Institute for Law & Justice, MAGLOCLEN.