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On Saturday, November 7, 2009, Gates Scholars Alumni and guests gathered in Santa Monica, California for a reunion luncheon at the gorgeous restaurant, Shutters-on-the-Beach. With views of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica Boardwalk in the background, Gates Scholars happily chatted their way through an afternoon of delicious food and interesting presentations.
The Deputy British Consul General for Los Angeles, Mr. David Wild, made opening remarks, followed by a keynote address from Dr. Greg Ridgeway of the RAND Corporation. Dr. Ridgeway, the Director of the Safety and Justice Program at RAND, engaged the audience with a discussion of modern policing in the United States, which led to a lively Q&A session that touched on the topics of racial profiling, gun control, and gangs.
