Paul R. Laska

Paul R. Laska

After earning his B.S. in criminology from Florida State University, Paul Laska began his career in law enforcement with Florida's Belle Glade Police Department in 1974, where he was assigned to the Identification Section. In 1977 he moved to the Martin County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office as a detective with the Crime Scene Unit. In 25 years with the Sheriff's Office, he rose to the rank of sergeant, established the fingerprint identification files for the agency, was the first bomb technician, and eventually commanded the Forensic Science Unit, with responsibilities over crime scene investigation, fingerprint identification, bomb disposal, and for several years, records management. For his past seven years he was the environmental investigator, investigating a variety of environmental offenses, supporting a wide variety of regulatory agencies, and also continued as the bomb squad commander. Since retirement in 2002 he has continued in the field, working as a consultant, an instructor for a number of programs, and as a writer.