» By ERICKA CONLEY & BRIAN BIGELOW [email protected] [email protected]

Police chief Terence Calloway has a vision for the APSU department of Public Safety: preparation, education and expansion.

As the new Director of Public Safety, Calloway said he has received feedback the police presence on campus has been sufficient and well received by faculty and staff, but he wants to expand the department and encourage his employees to get “out of their offices [and] out from behind their desks” and to interact with students, faculty and staff.

He is looking “to get some additional eyes and ears” on campus by hiring two new police officers or security officers by the end of the year.

Calloway also discussed feeling delighted to be on a college campus. The average age of students at APSU is 18-25, which is an age of self- discovery and enlightenment.

“I think that you can make more of an impact on people in this environment than at a local police department,” Calloway said.

He said he wants each student to feel they are the most important student and their needs and concerns are being addressed.

Because of the age of the students at APSU, they are susceptible to certain pressures and unfortunately can end up getting into trouble. Some of the issues students have are safety, drinking, drugs and assault, but the most common crime on campus, Calloway said, is theft. He stresses educating students is integral to combating theft and keeping students and their property safe.

“Because our university is a safe haven for a lot of students, they get the notion that this is home away from home,” Calloway said. “But, when you have 10,000 people on a campus, all it takes is for one to have an opportunity to steal something.”

He is working with the police department’s four supervisors, 14 sworn officers and six security guards to assess the current state of the department and how to improve it.

APSU campus police officers go through the same state training as all Tennessee police officers. They respond to calls such as burglaries and thefts. Security officers do not go through the same training and do not carry guns. Security officers write parking citations.

“Right now we’re going through a phase of trying to do an audit and see where the department is and where we can go from there and build upon the good things that have taken place and try to eliminate or revisit the things that really didn’t pan out well for the department,” Calloway said. “Part of my plan is to … maintain credibility and respectability of our police department from other law enforcement entities and students at APSU.”

In addition, Calloway is reaching out to other staff members, police officers and security officers for input on the direction to take the department.

“I want to create unity within our police department. Although we have three different shifts, we want to be of one accord,” Calloway said. “I’ve also asked of each employee to submit to me two goals and two objectives and two strategic plans on how they’d like to [accomplish] those goals.”

Calloway replaced previous director of Public Safety Lantz Biles on Jan. 9.

Biles resigned last semester for personal reasons.

A native of Cleveland Ohio, Calloway has served in various positions on police forces for the past 17 years. TAS