By Josh Siatkowski | Staff Writer
In a time when only the tensest interactions between civilians and law enforcement are shared across the internet, Baylor’s Department of Public Safety is doing things differently. Lighthearted informational posts and staff bios fill the department’s social media feed, while donut giveaways and bracelet-making workshops fill the time between patrols.
For the last six months, BUDPS has prioritized engagement with the campus community, drawing in viewers on its Instagram posts and building personal relationships at campus events. Assistant Vice President of Campus Safety and Security DJ Rodman, who was promoted last year, said he saw potential for more community engagement when he took on the role.
“We all have a story, and public safety has a really hard time telling that story,” Rodman said.
It started when Rodman met individually with his staff, which encompasses about 100 employees across five departments — BUPD, Emergency Management, Physical and Technical Security, Parking Services and Global and Research Security.
“I met with all of our employees,” Rodman said. “I asked them, ‘Tell me your story. How did you end up here?’ And we have some amazing stories.”
To his surprise, staff told stories of work on ranches, on country music tours and even at rodeos in Europe. They were all stories worth sharing, but the platform wasn’t there last spring.
“I think there was a gap where we have great stories, but we just don’t have a storyteller,” Rodman said.
But starting last fall, Westport, Conn., junior Spencer Yim has filled that gap. Yim, a community leader in Alexander Hall and the Student Regent for Baylor’s Board of Regents, is serving as the first outreach and engagement intern for BUDPS. He’s worked for a few hours each week, making social media videos like a one-minute “Fast Friday” interview with BUPD Chief John Kolinek and a comical street-racing PSA.
“I wanted to bring the perspective of someone who grew up not having a strong opinion about law enforcement to the department,” Yim said. “Over the course of time here at Baylor, I’ve been able to gain more exposure to law enforcement. It’s helped me to realize that not only is public safety needed, but it’s integral to everything we do on campus.”
Since taking over the BUDPS Instagram, Yim said engagement has increased by 400%, with some posts receiving thousands of views. For Rodman and the rest of the department, it’s growth that wasn’t even in the cards a few months ago.
“Spencer’s been fantastic with regards to just opening doors that we didn’t even consider, with regards to engaging our students and even our broader community of faculty and staff,” Rodman said.
But the Instagram account that Yim runs is not the only BUDPS engagement initiative, nor is it the only account held by the department. BUDPS regularly holds campus events outside Speight Garage and in other locations, and Parking Services even runs an award-winning page featuring its orange traffic cone mascot, Parker.
“[Engagement] is not something new that we’re doing, but something that we’re that we’re really trying to hit the gas on,” Yim said.
With triple-digit growth rates and increased event attendance, that renewed focus on public engagement is showing.
“When you actually get to know the people behind the uniform or behind the badge, you really quickly understand that they’re not doing it for themselves,” Yim said. “I think the impact is tangible.”
That impact, Yim said, is not just in engagement but the safety applications. The real reason for promoting the department is to make students safer on campus.
“I want every student on campus to not only follow our Instagram page, but to have on their phone the number for Baylor University Police Department saved, and to have the RAVE Guardian app downloaded,” Yim said. “Because if we get every student to have those three things, then they’re going to have all the resources in their phone.”
