Quarterly Newsletter - November 2018

SPOTLIGHT: ROB FITCH

Rob Fitch, emergency management coordinator at Penn State University Police and Public Safety, has worked in the emergency response field for most of his adult life. 

For him, the most rewarding part about working for UPPS is collaborating with the Commonwealth campuses. “I have the opportunity to meet an array of people, while simultaneously helping them achieve their emergency management goals,” Fitch said. 

Fitch oversees five Penn State commonwealth campuses to help them meet their emergency management goals, including Abington, Berks, Brandywine, Great Valley and Navy Yard. His responsibilities revolve around creating plans for sustaining a campus in the event of an emergency or disaster.

Overall, Fitch helps campuses become better prepared to respond to an emergency or disaster, and hopefully minimize the effect of disaster, an extremely important factor, according to Fitch. “Preparedness and mitigation are critical,” he said.

Previously, Rob served for 23 years in the Coast Guard as a C-130 navigator, before transitioning into his emergency management position for the state of Alaska. He dedicated 15 years to this role before moving on to join the Penn State community in July.

Since his move from Alaska, Fitch dedicates much of his free time to exploring Pennsylvania. He enjoys the new location, the new people and the new challenges that Penn State has to offer. Traveling is a big part of Fitch’s life, and he plans to incorporate it as much as possible in his down time. -- Raegan Pechar

A NOTE FROM THE AVP

One of the goals behind this newsletter is to better connect our vast and diverse department, but it doesn’t have to stop here.

After reading about the many successes within our department, I encourage you to take time to reach out and congratulate some of your colleagues on the work they’ve done over the last few months, perhaps even someone you’ve not yet met through your daily work. Taking time to support each other can help make us stronger as a department.

Let me also take time to say that I appreciate and value each of you and the contributions you make, which I know is never done for the recognition.

Warmly,

Charlie

ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS

PHYSICAL SECURITY JOINS UPPS

The transition of the Office of Physical Security from the Office of Physical Plant to University Police and Public Safety will be finalized on or before December 1, 2018. We want to welcome everyone in Physical Security to the family of University Police and Public Safety. Those now part of our department include:

Scotty Eble, Physical Security Director, see2, 158 University Support Building 1

Josh Troxell, Security Manager, djt171, Suite 155 Physical Plant Building

Amy Day, OPP Security Coordinator, ajd9, 113 Physical Plant Building

Marty Mantz, CWC Security Specialist, msm33, 113 Physical Plant Building

Eric Bauman, Security Systems Administrator, egb117, Suite 155 Physical Plant Building

Denny Hackenberg, Security Systems Specialist, drh241, Suite 155 Physical Plant Building

Larry Murray, Security Systems Administrator, lam373, Suite 155 Physical Plant Building

Keith Runkle, Security Systems Specialist, kar83, Suite 155 Physical Plant Building

Kristen Croyle, Safety & Security Specialist, kmc97, Suite 155 Physical Plant Building

Christina Brown, Safety & Security Specialist, cmr37, Suite 155 Physical Plant Building

LOWERY RETIRES, MORRIS TAKES ON NEW ROLE

Mike Lowery recently retired as chief of operations for University Police and Public Safety after serving in law enforcement for 37 years. Keith Morris has assumed the role of chief of police operations, blending the two separate roles for chief of police and chief of operations.

PENN STATE POLICE SUPERVISOR GRADUATES FROM SCHOOL OF POLICE STAFF AND COMMAND

University Police Lt. Jason Zajac recently graduated from Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety following the completion of an extensive, in-residence program that provides advanced leadership training specific to law enforcement. Read more.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT NEWS

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR GRADUATES FROM FEMA ACADEMY

Pamela Soule, emergency management coordinator at Penn State, recently graduated from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Emergency Management Advanced Academy following the completion of an in-residence program that provides strategic training and skills needed for emergency management programs. Read more.

STAFF MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN TRAININGS, CONFERENCES

Brian Bittner, director of emergency management, and University Police Lt. Matt White attended the 2018 National Seminar and Tabletop Exercise for Institutions of Higher Education at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The seminar, led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was a two-day event that helps prepare higher education officials to respond to a campus emergency.

Brian Bittner and Pam Soule attended the International Association of Emergency Managers annual conference. During the event, they also attended a two-day meeting of the Universities and Colleges Caucus.

Alexandra Craige and Rob Fitch attended the Keystone Emergency Management Conference. Both Coordinators were able to make contact with multiple representatives from the Districts they serve.

CLERY COMPLIANCE/RECORDS NEWS

ANNUAL SECURITY REPORTS COMPLETED

The Clery Compliance Team works each year to produce 23 Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report publications titled Policies, Safety and U. These publications are an important part of the University’s Clery Act compliance efforts and provide important safety and security information to students, faculty and staff. This document includes information from offices across the entire university system and takes the Clery Team the entire year to compile and coordinate with a hard Oct. 1 deadline. Thank you to the Clery Act compliance team and to all who contribute information.

REGA ATTENDS WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

Tasha Rega, administrative assistant, attended the Women’s Conference in Philadelphia, along with several other Finance and Business employees. As part of the largest women’s conference in Pennsylvania, attendees listened to many influential female speakers, including Serena Williams and Amal Clooney.

RECORDS OFFICE CENTRALIZATION

The Records team also continues to work toward centralization of the Records Office and to work on the Spillman/Motorola RMS project. Phase I (University Park, Altoona and DuBois) of the project is slated to go live in January 2019. A timeline for Phase II (the remaining campuses) will be announced soon. Thank you to all for your cooperation and patience as this project progresses.

BEHAVIORAL THREAT MANAGEMENT NEWS

In October, the Penn State Behavioral Threat Management Team hosted a team training for all of the 200 plus BTMT members at the Penn Stater.  There were presentations on Making Prevention a Reality: Identifying, Assessing, and Managing Threats and Stalking along with a Case Study. 

UNIVERSITY POLICE NEWS

POLICE VISIBILITY INCREASES FOR HOME FOOTBALL GAMES

Penn State football fans are seeing an increase in police visibility during football games at Beaver Stadium beginning this season, as part of the University’s ongoing efforts to review and implement best practices related to the safety of the game day experience. Read more. 

UNIVERSITY POLICE OFFERS STUDENTS UNIQUE WORK EXPERIENCE AS AUXILIARY OFFICERS

Through a unique division within Penn State University Police, students support police officers with various security and traffic control efforts while gaining important experience that prepares them for their career goals. Student auxiliary officers are employed by University Police at Penn State's University Park and Altoona campuses. Read more. 

UNIVERSITY POLICE BEGINS EQUIPPING OFFICERS WITH KIT TO TREAT OPIOID OVERDOSES

“We understand that we are a microcosm of our communities and the abuse of opioid products can spill over, at times, into our police officers’ jurisdiction, therefore we believe it is important to equip our officers with life-saving tools should they face a life-threatening situation,” said Charlie Noffsinger, assistant vice president of University Police and Public Safety at Penn State. Read more.

UNIVERSITY POLICE REPRESENTED AT INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE

Deputy Chief Anthony Budris, northwest district commander; Lt. Deborah Stitt, Penn State Altoona station commander; and Lt. Dale Osenbach, Penn State Hazleton station commander, represented Penn State University Police at the 2018 International Association of Police Chiefs Conference in Orlando, Florida. The conference provides law enforcement leaders with new strategies, techniques, and resources to support the evolving policing environment.

Budris and Osenbach completed the IACP 5K Race at Universal Orlando Resort as part of the 2018 IACP Conference.

QUARTERMASTER UPDATE

The following campuses are in the process of receiving gun lockers to safely store the AR-15s: Greater Allegheny, New Kensington, Fayette, Beaver, DuBois, Abington, Great Valley, Wilkes-Barre, Leigh Valley, and York. Additionally, AR-15s will be in service soon throughout the Commonwealth.

K-9 UNIT UPDATE

Officer Phil Peng and K-9 Roni successfully completed the Pennsylvania State Police’s Basic Handler course on October 5. The course was 12 weeks long and included subject areas such as canine behavior, search skills, and practical exercises.

“I am quite honored and ecstatic to be the next K-9 Handler at Penn State . After an extensive training, Roni and I look forward to supporting public safety in our community,” Peng said.

The department will officially announce this new K-) team through a media event on November 21, which will include a K-9 Unit demonstration. 

Peng and Roni are the sixth K-9 team fielded by our agency during its history. He joins Officer Dustin Miller and K-9 Rudie and Officer Josh Quimby and K-9 Wail as the teams currently in service. Peng and Roni are certified in explosive detection to include evidence recovery for firearms and shell-casings. 

With the completion of the course, Peng and Roni will be based out of University Park and will be available to support VIP visits, large-scale events, and critical incident response when needed by the agency.

TRAINING UPDATE

Field Training Officer (FTO) training was held October 29-November 2 at University Park. It was attended by 18 officers. This training provided additional officers Commonwealth-wide with the necessary skills and knowledge to teach, train, coach and evaluate newly hired officers. This is the second such training provided by the department.

Pre-employment background investigation training was held October 16 at University Park. It was attended by 11 officers. This training enhances our department’s robust hiring efforts by increasing the number of officers assisting in background investigations Commonwealth-wide. This is the second such training provided by the department.

DRONE UNIT UPDATE

Currently, our Unmanned Aircraft System (drone) program consists of a fleet of DJI Mavics and a DJI Matrice 210.  Both platforms have cameras with the Matrice 210 having an additional FLIR camera. 

Officer Trevor Stauffer holds a Part 107 certification from the FAA. He also recently completed the necessary training to be certified as a Penn State standardization pilot, which allows him to internally certify Part 107 certificate holders under PSU’s operating requirements.

The UAS platforms have been deployed during Penn State football games and have begun integration training with the Hazardous Devices Team.

A NOTE FROM THE FOOTBALL INCIDENT COMMANDER

As we are nearing the end of the football season, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who works football games at University Park. These are long days under difficult conditions, but you continue to show up and perform your duties as consummate professionals, a standard that has come to be expected at University Police.

Over the course of both the 2017 and 2018 seasons, I have had the opportunity to learn what goes into the law enforcement operations for an average game, let alone highly anticipated games such as Ohio State and Michigan. More importantly, it gave was an opportunity for our department to examine areas we could improve.

With the support of Assistant Vice President Charlie Noffsinger, we have embarked on several projects to enhance safety and security for both our officers and visitors. These projects include a committee tasked with assessing our current football traffic and parking procedures and making recommendations on how we can improve ingress and egress while enhancing pedestrian safety. We have also increased our staffing commitment to the lots to better address the large-scale tailgating we have seen. Finally, we have added additional cameras in the lots as a force multiplier.

It takes teamwork in order to ensure our operations are successful on gameday, and that success is due to all of you and your dedication, as it would not be a successful operation without it. 

Thank you and be safe,

Keith Morris

NORTHWEST DISTRICT

BEAVER AND SHENANGO START BIKE PATROL

Penn State Beaver and Shenango recently incorporated bike patrol for the first time.

"I have had many students come up to me and ask about the bike and also if any trainings were involved. Many staff and faculty members have commented that having a bike patrol on campus is a great idea because of the high visibility and they would be more likely to approach me on the bike than in the patrol vehicle,” said Officer Davis Huang at Penn State Beaver.

Officer Travis Young at Penn State Shenango said, “The big advantage to having a bike on our campus is the accessibility to cross campus in a quick and timely fashion.”

Officers have also utilized bike patrol at events such as the Back to School Bash and other orientation events with Student Affairs and Admissions. Students, both traditional and non-traditional, seem view officers as more approachable because it is easy to walk up, ask a question and engage in conversations.

“It’s always good to hear the spirit yells of ‘hey Pac blue’ or ‘what’s up 21 jump street,’ as both are great conversation starters while myself and the students get to enjoy a good laugh,” Young said. “I believe the bike, along with the softer uniform, makes me more approachable. It’s been a great experience so far, and I believe more officers should be bike trained in the future."

HALLOWEEN OUTREACH

Officer John Licatovich at Penn State Dubois participated in the campus Halloween Party and Haunted House on October 27.

PUMPKINS AND POLICE

Officer David Lesher at Penn State Behrend recently participated in the Pumpkins with Police program.

PIZZA WITH POLICE

In September, Officer Davis Huang at Penn State Beaver and Sgt. Jason Cindric from Center Township Police Department participated in a Pizza and Police event at Harmony Hall. As part of the event, Cindric brought K-9 Ingo for a demonstration. Students also had time to enjoy Ingo’s company.

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT

Community policing efforts to engage campus employees and students at Penn State Altoona include regular Coffee with a Cop events, Pizza with the Police, as well as meet and greet sessions with International students, off-campus housing outreach programs, and safety presentations to community residents.

Community policing efforts are also ongoing at Penn State New Kensington where officers regularly participate in programs, such as new student orientation, meet and greet sessions, and Coffee with a Cop. Officers also fostered an open dialogue with students and employees following the tragedy at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Congratulations to Officer Christopher Veze, the first bike officer at Penn State Greater Allegheny.

CENTRAL DISTRICT

MONT ALTO ENCOUNTERS INTERESTING SITUATION

Authorities at Penn State Mont Alto recently handled an interesting situation: A bear and her cubs strolling through campus. Read more.

NO WAY, NO HOW

With vision-impaired goggles, a pedal cart and an obstacle course, Penn State Harrisburg students are reminded of the dangers of drinking and driving.

University Police at Penn State Harrisburg assisted with “No Way, No How, You Won’t Drink and Drive,” an event sponsored by the Student Activities Fund and Penn State Harrisburg Criminal Justice Club.

The event was designed to show students how their driving skills are impaired while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Sgt. Joel Avram and Officers William Lacey, Frank Divonzo and Sean Frawley guided 62 student participants through the event, which was fun and educational while also reminding students to never drink and drive.

OFFICER QUALIFIES FOR IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN HAWAII 

Officer Dwayne Smith of Penn State York competed in IRONMAN Maryland, an endurance triathlon that attracts the most elite of athletes, on Sept. 29. The event, which consists of 140.6 miles of running, biking and swimming, is not for the faint of heart.

Smith finished in nine hours and 40 minutes, placing fourth in his age group. His ranking qualified him for an invitation to the 2019 IRONMAN World Championship, which will be held in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Also, on Oct. 14, Smith competed in IRONMAN Louisville, finishing eighth in his age group.

In preparation for such competitions, Smith trains and runs year-long to keep his body in shape. For IRONMAN Maryland, he dedicated three months toward intensive training with biking, swimming and running prior to IRONMAN Maryland. He plans to replicate these tactics over the next 10 months, participating in several 70.3 IRONMAN half-marathons, as well as prioritizing his nutrition and hydration to fuel him throughout his competitions.

In his competitive career, Smith has conquered eight triathlons as well as several half-IRONMAN competitions. These events have taken him to Utah, New York, Maryland, Florida, and Hawaii, where he took on his first IRONMAN Championship in 2017.

As for his role with University Police, he believes his active and competitive lifestyle has led him toward a long and successful career as a police officer.

WALK A MILE

The Penn State York community, including University Police Lt. Bob Lehman and Officer Dwayne Smith, came together in October to support of Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, an annual event held where men, women and children come together to give voice to the survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking.

This event invited participants of all ages to gather and raise funds for the YWCA of York, an organization dedicated towards empowering women across the globe. Twenty-six participants from the Penn State York campus walked in this event. As a collaborative effort, the team raised more than $1,730 in support of the YWCA’s efforts to raise awareness and support for abuse victims across America.

WALK THE PLANK

Penn State Harrisburg’s “Walk the Plank” event in October highlighted the dangers of going overboard with alcohol and other substances, including cannabis and LSD.

“Walk the Plank,” is designed to show students the risks of substance abuse. The event was sponsored by the Harrisburg Campus Counseling and Disability Services and funded by the Student Activity Fund. Throughout the duration of “Walk the Plank,” University Police Sgt. Joel Avram and Officers Frank Divonzo and Sean Frawley demonstrated the risks associated with alcohol, cannabis and LSD.

In all, 154 student participants gathered as officers aided them across the “plank,” testing their balance and coordination skills while wearing vision-impaired goggles. With stumbles, the goggles induced a sense of inebriation amongst students, showing the impact substances can have on an individual’s coordination skills.

SELF-DEFENSE AWARENESS

Penn State Harrisburg Officer Richard Rocco and Penn State York Officer Dwayne Smith demonstrated vital National Self-Defense Institute safety principles during a S.A.F.E. program hosted at Hershey Medical Center in October.

NSDI’s S.A.F.E. (Self-Defense Awareness and Familiarization Exchange) program allows women to become aware of safety and prevention techniques in the event of an assault.

The event hosted 23 Penn State nursing students, who completed an interactive PowerPoint covering basic safety principles. The participants viewed a video from NSDI and engaged in an interactive demonstration of physical self-defense tactics.

SOUTHEAST DISTRICT

HOMECOMING PARADE

University Police at Penn State Berks routinely assists with the annual Homecoming parade.

POLICE STATION RENOVATIONS COMPLETE

The renovation of the Penn State Brandywine police station is complete. Gilbane Construction and Coscia Moos completed the project, which was the brain child of Central District Commander Lewis Sweigart, former chief at Brandywine, with input on design from Sgt.Anthony Benvenutti, Brandywine station commander, and Sgt. Mark Groff of Penn State Berks.

NORTHEAST DISTRICT

Lt. Dale Osenbach, station commander at Penn State Hazleton, participated in National Coffee with a Cop Day in September. C.A.R.E.S., a local developmental adult day program, joined Lt. Osenbach for the event.

Penn State Schuylkill recently celebrated Lt. Pat Carroll’s retirement. He retired on Aug. 31, 2018, after serving 12 years with University Police, most recently as station commander.

Northeast District Commander Lisa DeLaurentis attended the Lackawanna College Act 120 Police Academy in Hazleton to share all of the benefits officers enjoy with University Police. 

University Police at Penn State Hazleton recently unveiled its Community Policing Booth located in the “Fish Bowl” of the lobby of Graham Building. The booth is operational at varying times Monday through Friday where officers are available to answer questions, listen to concerns and provide information while offering coffee and tea.

UNIVERSITY PARK

University Park Police Officers Allen Miller and Melanie Medina were recognized by Athletic Director Sandy Barbour with an honorary game ball during the Kent State game for their life-saving efforts involving a tailgater during the Penn State-Appalachian State game earlier this season.

University Police Officers Adam Rawding and Josh Quimby at University Park recently took time to scoop free ice cream for students in the East Food District for the Get the Scoop from a Cop event coordinated with Campus Dining.

University Police officers at University Park hosted a meet and greet event outside the student union center. The event gave officers an opportunity to answer questions and educate students about emergency and other services.

University Police officers at University Park, including Sgt. Elizabeth Badger, recently participated in National Read a Book Day with the various childcare centers on campus. 

 

DEPARTMENT SERVICE MILESTONES

Frank Divonzo, 20 years

Thomas Quinn, 15 years

Crystal Deitz, 10 years

Ryan Olson, 10 years

Jacqueline Marron, 10 years

Jennifer Paullin, 10 years

Wesley Sheets, 5 years

Sean Frawley, 5 years

Douglas Curley, 5 years

PROMOTIONS

Altoona 

Troy Johannides, promoted to Sergeant, effective July 1, 2018

Berks

John Bessey, promoted, Lieutenant, effective September 17, 2018

Beaver

Marque Wiese, promoted to Sergeant, effective July 1, 2018

Brandywine

Anthony Benvenutti, promoted to Sergeant, effective July 1, 2018

Harrisburg

Joel Avram, promoted to Sergeant, effective August 1, 2018

University Park

Chris Bender, promoted to Sergeant, effective August 13, 2018

 

NEW EMPLOYEES

John Edwards
Police Officer, Altoona
Alex Craige
Emergency Management Coordinator, University Park/Southwest District
Andrew Loveridge
Police Officer, New Kensington

Nicholas Rennie
Police Officer, Greater Allegheny
Amanda Brant
Police Officer, Altoona
William Lacey
Police Officer, Abington

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Thank you to everyone throughout the department who submitted content for the November newsletter. As you can see, there are many great things happening within the department.

Beyond the quarterly newsletter, you can keep up with department happenings and outreach efforts by following our social media channels.

I encourage you to like and follow our channels and share the posts you enjoy. Consider each "like," "share," or "retweet," one public form of outreach to the community. In order for the community to know all of the great things that University Police and Public Safety does, we need to tell them. You can help us tell our story. 

Thanks again,
Jenn Cruden

To submit content ideas for the next quarterly newsletter, send an email to PIO Jenn Cruden, [email protected]. The next newsletter will be published in February.