Dr. James F. Pastor, Ph.D., J.D
Dr. Pastor is a nationally recognized authority on policing and
security. He consults, writes and speaks on a variety of public
safety and security issues. He also serves as an expert witness
and consulting expert in police, premises liability and security
matters. He approaches these topics in a critical and substantive
manner, being conversant in both the conceptual and practical
applications of public safety and security.
Professional Experience
Dr. Pastor is the president and founder of SecureLaw Ltd., a Chicago based public safety and security services firm. He is also an Associate Professor of Public Safety at Calumet
College of St. Joseph. In addition, he is an adjunct instructor for the
International Law Enforcement Academy where he teaches security
technology to police officials throughout the world. He formerly
taught legal issues for Northwestern University-Center for Public
Safety, and Legal & Ethical Issues in Security Management
in the graduate program at Webster University.
Dr. Pastor operated a law practice for ten years, with an established
public safety niche. In his law practice, Attorney Pastor has
represented four security firms, and two police unions. He also
worked in the security alarm industry, where he served as the
Legal Counsel/Operational Auditor for SecurityLink, where he reviewed,
drafted, and negotiated hundreds of security contracts. He also
developed and drafted a Policy & Standards Manual for all
critical company functions, and developed and implemented an Operational
Auditing Program, designed to ensure compliance with company policies
and standards.
Previously, he served as Legal Advisor/Senior
Consultant at the Office of International Criminal Justice and Security
Programs based out of the University of Illinois at Chicago, where
he provided management consulting and training programs for municipal
police departments, corporations and private security firms.
Prior to these experiences, Dr. Pastor started his career with
the Chicago Police Department. He served as an Assistant Department
Advocate, presenting the department in internal disciplinary matters,
including the review and analysis of hundreds of use of force
cases. He also represented the department in disciplinary cases
before the Complaint Review Panel, and provided legal counsel
to internal investigative units. Prior to this experience, he
served as a tactical police officer in the Gang Crime Enforcement
Unit, performing proactive tactical enforcement directed at gang
activities, focusing on drug and weapon violations in high crime
areas. In this position, he participated in numerous joint enforcement
operations with the F.B.I., A.T.F., and the Illinois State Police,
including execution of search and arrest warrants in the notorious
"El Rukn" fort and in other large scale gang crime initiatives.
He also served as a security
officer in a number of environments, including The Art Institute of Chicago, The Ritz Carlton,
the First Illinois Center, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, and in several sports and concert facilities.
Professional Credentials
Dr. Pastor holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis from the University
of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois. His dissertation was entitled: Assessing
the Functional & Constitutional Implications of Private Security
Patrols on Public Streets. He also has a J.D., from The John
Marshall Law School; an M.A. in Criminal Justice from the University
of Illinois at Chicago, his thesis entitled: A Critical Analysis
of Terrorism; and a B.S., in Law Enforcement Administration and
Sociology from Western Illinois University.
Publications
Dr. Pastor is the author of Terrorism
& Public Safety Policing: Implications for the Obama Presidency.
He also is the author of Security
Law and Methods, which examines legal exposures and security
methods designed to diminish or negate the consequence of crime
in light of legal and security principles, and of The
Privatization of Police in America, which is a cutting edge
analysis of the relevant issues related to public safety and private
security. In addition, he has published several articles on policing
and security, including a chapter in the ASIS Protection of Assets
Manual entitled: Private Policing on Public Environments.
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