The Indiana University Southeast
police invited students to enjoy Coffee with a Cop at the University Grounds coffee shop on Wednesday, Sept. 4.
At the event, students were encouraged to enjoy a free cup of coffee and chat with five of the 11 officers that patrol the campus and surrounding county. The idea comes from a national movement that originated in Hawthorne, Calif., which is funded by a grant from the Department of Justice.
Chief Officer Edelen, with 25 years of experience – some of which was spent serving the Louisville Metro area – brought the idea to campus. The idea is to encourage communication and foster familiarity between students and faculty and the officers who are on duty.
For the most part, officers at the event shot the breeze with students or played board games and filled coffee cups for curious visitors. Some technical, job related questions arose. For instance, biology student Christain Cutshall asked about the campus’ open carry policy.
According to the campus policy, firearms are prohibited on campus and guns need to stay at home. Another question was fielded by officer Million –who officer Edelen said is “worth every penny” – about the extent of the campus officers’ authority.
Million said, “Some students think we’re just security, but we have full police power.”
He explained that the diverse group of officers – many with over ten years of experience – are fully-trained, Indiana police officers who also patrol Floyd County. Their responsibilities include responding to emergencies and monitoring traffic. Officer Miller joked that generally, the scofflaws in the area tend to have Kentucky license plates.
Students who are interested in careers in law enforcement can get their start at IU Southeast and work alongside the seasoned officers. The newest member to the department, Officer Eakle – an officer since February – explained the process. He said that after 60 hours of credit or generally at the end of a student’s sophomore year, a student can pick up an application at the IUS Police Department and become a cadet.
He said the specific major isn’t important, but is more of a demonstration of a student’s ability to be responsible and dedicated. Cadets are essentially part-time officers who do more routine things such as parking enforcement. After that, a student can take a week-long course in Bloomington and then attend a police academy and be eligible for hire at any police department.
Students who missed the Coffee with a Cop event can still have a chance to get to know officers as Officer Steve Miller plans to host a cooking class primarily for dorm students on Sept. 30. The plan is to focus on safety in the dorms when it comes to unnecessary, cooking-related fire hazards. Other safety issues will be addressed, but the event is designed to be fun and informative. All students are welcome and the event will be at 6 p.m. at the Woodland Lodge.
