As of Oct. 14, IUS Police have a new voice responding to calls. It is the voice of Debra Campbell. Campbell works in the police department during second shift.

Campbell has worked for a total of 14 years in various dispatch positions including the Austin, Ind., Scottsburg, Ind. and Seymour, Ind. police departments.

Although Campbell has several years worth of experience under her belt, she said she still experienced some of the feelings many have when starting a new job.

“I did have some anxiety,” Campbell said.

Campbell said the decision to help fight crime for a living came to her when she was just a young girl.

“When I was little I watched a show called “The FBI”. So when I was small I decided I wanted to go into the criminal justice field,” she said.

It was not long after graduating high school that Campbell was hired into her first dispatching job. Eventually she made the decision to become a state trooper and enrolled in training courses.

“During the state exam I was chosen in the top 70 out of 1,200,” Campbell said. “From there I was offered a job in Gary, Ind., but declined it because at the time I didn’t want to relocate.”

Campbell said there are major differences between dispatching for IUS Police and her other dispatching positions.

“Here we’re dealing mostly with students as far as permits and citations go. The others were more police-oriented criminal matters,” she said.

As far as her job duties when not responding to calls are concerned, Campbell said that she is still learning the ropes.

“Every shift is different and does different things. For example, first shift are usually the ones who handle updates on permits and tickets,” Campbell said.

Being a dispatcher for any police department involves more than what meets the eye.

“The hardest part is making sure you get enough information from the call for the responding officer,” Campbell said. “I don’t think you can ever ask too many questions or get too much information.”

Although the job can prove to be stressful, Campbell said her job is rewarding.

“I absolutely love it,” she said. “I enjoy being able to help and support the people here. From minor to major things, its all about the students and their safety.”

By DESIREE SMITH
Staff Writer
demismit@ius.edu