by Joan Yenawine, associate director, internal communications

"All you have to do is get it right 100% of the time."

That was one of the first things that my “Community Academy” classmates and I learned about policing. Designed especially for faculty and staff, this 5-week course is offered twice each year by our University Police Department. It gives participants an insider’s view on how our police operate, who they are and how they collaborate across our community to fulfill their mission to make Bentley a safer place. As a relatively new — and admittedly curious — employee, I signed up for the fall 2024 session along with eight others, including faculty as well as staff from the residential center, IT services, orientation and human resources.

For two hours each week, we learned about every facet of policing – from the practical requirements of shiftwork to the physical demands of the job to the philosophical ideas behind their community-based approach. Whether you’re just curious like me, or your role intersects with students or directly with the police department, I highly recommend Community Academy. 

Here’s a sampling of what my class learned:

- We toured the police building, including the dispatch center and the interview and evidence rooms. We also saw what’s stored under lock, key and code in the police vehicles and hefted some of the protective gear and rescue equipment that officers use. Then we imagined running up several flights of stairs carrying that stuff, and I immediately decided not to become a police officer.

- Bentley’s police department is certified by the Massachusetts State Police and accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission, not something that all university police departments achieve. Accreditation helps to ensure high professional standards by requiring rigorous training programs for officers, as well as regular updates on legal standards, use of force protocols and community policing strategies.

- There are more than 300 video cameras across campus and our detectives have a near encyclopedic memory of the angles that each captures. While most cameras are outside, some are installed in elevators for safety, a handy reminder that you’re never really alone in a Bentley elevator.

-The session on the use of force was led by Administrative Sergeant Lenny Imbracsio who, in addition to his role at Bentley, also works with the FBI and is an instructor at the Massachusetts Police Academy. Through a series of real-life videos and improvised scenarios, we put ourselves in a police officer’s position and began to understand the criteria and logic they use to assess situations. We saw how much we instinctively knew about body language and human behavior, and simultaneously, how easy it is to misread a situation or a person. 

- Our police department has a deep bench of talent, experience and storytelling ability. Many of our officers have “retired” from city departments and come here with decades of wide-ranging experience. We heard tales of late-night stakeouts and informants (from pre-Bentley experiences) while also gaining an understanding of the mental and emotional stamina required to continually respond to both mundane and traumatic incidents and “get it right, 100% of the time.”
 

If you’re intrigued, be on the lookout for the sign-up email for the spring session of Community Academy. Bring your questions, your curiosity and be prepared to learn something new at every class.