Paidamoyo (Paida) Chikate serves as International Outreach Leader at the University of Minnesota Police Department.
“As an international student, you can bring a different perspective,” Paida said. “Policing in the U.S. is a very specific thing, whereas policing generally in the world may be another thing. Seeing the world through those two lenses helps you become more objective, or at least have some grace when it comes to some of the tensions that are between police and people in the U.S.”
Paida explained she can also have more honest conversations with students, as she’s coming from the same place they are.
“Sometimes when staff, faculty, or UMPD folks want to talk about safety, it’s difficult because they are stakeholders in the system that has all these complications,” she said.
