Special Assistant Attorney General Presented Constitution Day Talk at Mines
South Dakota Mines hosted speaker Pat West on Sept. 17, 2021, for the annual talk celebrating the U.S. Constitution. West served 25 years in law enforcement and retired in 2017 as a Supervisor Special Agent with the SD Division of Criminal Investigation. Today, he continues his public service as a special assistant attorney general, investigating drug diversion in western South Dakota.
West spoke about how the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution impacted one of his most high-profile cases as an agent. “We rely often the Fourth and Fifth Amendments in law enforcement. There are 27th amendments in the U.S. Constitution, know them and know your rights,” West told the group of students, staff and faculty gathered for the presentation at Mines.
West grew up in Philip, SD, and holds a degree in business administration from Black Hills State University. In 1992 he graduated from the South Dakota Law Enforcement Academy and the FBI National Academy, Class 204. West served with the 153rd Engineers in the South Dakota Army National Guard from 1986 to 1993. He also worked for the Deadwood Ambulance Service, Deadwood Police Department and Lawrence County Sheriff's Office.
Constitution Day commemorates the formation and signing of the United States Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787, recognizing as citizens all who are born in the U.S. or those made citizens by naturalization.