By David Hurtado
Editor’s note: Officer Dan Robles let features editor, David Hurtado, shadow him on Feb. 20. Beginning at 8 a.m. and finishing around 2 p.m., Hurtado learned what it is like to work as the college’s Crime Prevention Officer.
Duties and responsibilities: As the college’s Crime Prevention Officer, Robles is responsible for promoting crime prevention awareness around campus. Unlike other members of the Campus Police, these duties do not involve patrolling the college in a squad car.
Working on safety brochures with Gay Hintz, attending public outreach programs related to crime prevention and walking the campus to look for ways to improve security and safety are a few of the daily tasks Robles might have on his plate. Each day presents new issues and situations that he must consider and make a decision about.
“You never really know what may happen and that can make the day more interesting,” Robles said.
Robles also teaches on cultural awareness at the Police Academy four times a year for new cadets from local police departments. His classes put emphasis on how each person is different, overcoming language barriers and dealing with diversity.
Keeping students informed: An essential part of Robles’ job involves interacting with the college through presentations and face to face communication. Once a month, Robles is invited to the Hiersteiner Child Development Center to read a story to some of children there.
“I enjoy the interaction and response I receive from the kids,” he said. “I have read to children for many years and it’s fun to hear the different responses.”
In addition to entertaining the kids, Robles also makes story time into a learning experience by explaining what police do. He shows them some of the equipment he carries, while fielding various questions both relating to law enforcement duties and not.
“I want them to be comfortable and know they can trust the police and not be afraid to approach and talk to a police officer,” he said. “If they are lost or afraid they may feel more comfortable talking to the police if they have met them before.”
While many of the presentations Robles attends are sponsored by the college, occasionally he and a couple of other officers will meet with individual classrooms. For example, on Feb.20, Robles, Officer Hersey and Chief Russell met with Professor Christine Buta’s class to discuss what to do in the event of an active shooter on campus.
One of the scenarios involved swarming and subduing Officer Hersey and removing his Nerf Gun as he entered the classroom. Students were invited to throw foam tennis balls at Hersey while attempting to immobilize him. In other scenarios, students attempted to scatter and make for the exit before Hersey reached the door.
Robles said the goal is to not be like Rambo during these situations, but to make yourself a difficult target when confronted with a violent intruder. He said there are no guarantees in an emergency situation, but fighting back can greatly raise the chances of survival.
“You can get shot and still survive.” Robles said. “If you’re going to be a number, be one who got shot in the leg or an arm and not one in the morgue.”
At the end of the day: Once everything is said and done with, a typical day for Robles usually ends at 3 p.m. Occasionally, Robles will be required to stay later than he usually does because of a change in schedule. This can be anything from providing security for Board of Trustee meetings to handling incidents on campus.
Throughout the course of a day, he interacts with many different students and staff members at the college. Robles said what he enjoys most about working at the college is meeting new people and educating them about crime prevention. He said about 95 percent of police work is communicating with other people.
“That’s probably the most important thing when you’re talking to people,” Robles said. “If when you first meet me and I automatically have this wall that’s put up, we won’t get along good. If I have more of an open relationship with you, more of a one-on-one communication, you can come on in and we can talk freely and it’s no big deal. That’s what means a lot to me.”
Contact David Hurtado, features editor, at dhurtado@jccc.edu.