Given the recent announcement of his promotion to Chief of Police, Technician spoke with Chief Jack Moorman about both the past and future of campus safety.

Moorman has been with Campus Police since, according to its website, but also has years of experience working in various positions with Raleigh Police Department.

Technician: Why did you decide to take on the role of N.C . State Police Chief?

Moorman : When Chief Younce retired–and I think he did an excellent job with the police department here–I was in a position where I thought I had the qualifications and experiences to be able to step in and fill that role, and to continue a lot of the initiatives he [ Younce ] started, and to lead the department in the direction he intended.

Technician: How big of a shift is this for you given your prior experience? Is there anything you are apprehensive of or are excited about undertaking?

Moorman : I wouldn’t use the word apprehensive. It’s certainly it’s a huge responsibility, and its always a big challenge, but it’s one I certainly look forward to and welcome.

Technician: What experiences have you had that you think will benefit you the most as Police Chief?

Moorman : I think really my connection to the University and really understanding the university culture–from having been here as a graduate student, from having worked this area with the Raleigh Police Department and from my four years I’ve had in my previous position–have all really enabled me to have a greater appreciation and understanding of the University. And it’s a really great work environment as well.

Technician: How so?

Moorman : What I love about it is that even though we’re the Police Department, we’re still able to play a vital role in the University’s educational process. There are great collaborations here and partnerships–where we come together with Greek life, University Housing, the Women’s Center, the  GLBT center, student conduct–where come together with our different partners here at the campus and are really able to work collaboratively on not just safety or crime issues, but also really have a role in issues affecting safety and lives of students here. I really feel like it’s a great opportunity to be involved. I really enjoy being able to work with other departments and have an appreciation for their perspectives.

Technician: Will there be any significant changes to Campus Police?

Moorman : Well, Chief Younce  did a great job of having our officers and our whole department involved in campus life, and had us involved in many of the partnerships I mentioned. I’m really looking to continue the great job that he has done and to build on those relationships, and I’d like for us to continue to get more involved in the workings of the campus.

Technician: How is Campus Police handling the recent budget cuts?

Moorman : We certainly have been affected. We try to do as much consolidation and to be as efficient as we can, and in fact our efforts have been in streamlining mid level management positions. We’ve cut some supervisory positions because we want to protect delivery of service to students. We don’t want to compromise the service we provide to the campus community.

Technician: What do you feel is the biggest issue the University is facing concerning campus safety?

Moorman : I don’t know if I necessary think it’s the biggest issue, but one thing we always have to be careful about is because we have a relatively safe campus, we must constantly be aware of personal safety procedures. Each student needs to be aware that although we have a relatively safe campus, they need to be aware of their surroundings and try to avoid situations or circumstances that could jeopardize their safety. It’s almost like being the victim of your own success. Sometimes in a safer environment, students feel they can let their guard down, but we always need to be vigilant.

Technician: Is there anything else you’d like to say to the campus community?

Moorman : For me it’s an honor and privilege to be selected for this position. Again, it is a huge responsibility and I’m excited about it. I’m really looking forward to it. Having been a student here—and currently being a student here–it’s a great university, with great students, faculty and staff. I feel very honored to be able to be a part of it.