May 2024
Tara Comiskey does not teach history. Tara Comiskey makes history. An adjunct instructor of criminal justice at SCCC (and soon to be adjunct assistant professor), Tara had been Commanding Officer of the 8th Precinct of the Nassau County Police Department when she became the first all-female precinct command staff. Regardless of the historical achievement, Inspector Tara Comiskey and Deputy Commanding Officer DI Jannine Palazzola were simply proud to work with such a talented group of law enforcement officers. Tara was nominated for this honor by FA Adjunct Coordinator Kim Ng Southard, who met her during one of Kim’s adjunct promotion workshops and was impressed by how active and engaged Tara remains as a retired police officer who now teaches. “Tara shares her experiences and knowledge of social justice in her criminal justice classes,” Kim notes, emphasizing how critical it is to see how these are intertwined in everyday life. Because Tara is also an attorney, she has an even broader perspective on a range of cases and situations. Tara finds happiness in helping students forge their path, but especially in helping women students do so in traditionally male-dominated spaces such as one finds in law enforcement. Tara’s exceptional activism in this kind of social justice work led to her being honored by State Senator Steve Rhoads with a 2023 NYS Senate Woman of Distinction Award. At an October 26, 2023, ceremony, Senator Rhoads thanked Tara and the other honorees “for their tireless efforts to make their community a better place for all.” Tara has also served as a member of the Board of New York Women in Law Enforcement as well as a speaker at the Criminal Justice Educators Association of New York State’s annual conference. Because her heart is in education, Tara is fond of highlighting for students the importance of educating yourself outside of the classroom and of traveling as a way to broaden your understanding of other people and cultures. She has done so as a panelist on the Adelphi University Women’s Leadership Conference, as a panelist at the SCCC Celebrating HerStory event and as a speaker at a meeting between the Nassau Community College Women’s Faculty Association and Delta Kappa Gamma. It takes a strong, smart woman to make their way up through the ranks of law enforcement as Tara has done. Her students are fortunate to have her so ready to share advice and information with them, and we hope you will join us in congratulating Tara on her FA Member Excellence Award for Social Justice and Community Outreach. |
