By Some mornings you might find Richard Goodwin rushing to campus to resolve a crisis; other mornings you might spot him in line for his vital morning coffee or around campus in various outreach and education programs. No matter where he is, the recently promoted captain of the University Police Department is working to keep our campus safe.
Twenty-four years ago, Goodwin followed his passion of communication and helping others.
“That’s where I found my niche, in campus law enforcement,” Goodwin said.
In progressing from lieutenant to captain, Goodwin assumed the duty of the department’s patrol function which operates around the clock.
“I’m now responsible for all the men and women of the university police and what they’re doing out in the field.” Goodwin said.
Even when he’s on the clock, his days are often as unpredictable as the calls he can get. Although each morning he tries to complete his daily ritual of checking his calendar and getting his coffee, he likens his workload to that of a “juggler.”
“You can come in one day and think, ‘I’ve got all these projects I wanna do, I want to work on the K-9 program, I want to see about this community outreach, I want to see about what future programs we can put together for the University,’” Goodwin said. “But I may walk in … and maybe something happened the night before that demands my attention for the day.”
Despite the increased workload, evident by a crowded desk topped with an assortment of files, calendars and other stacks of business papers, Goodwin said he still considers his job both a privilege and an honor.
“I’m happy and honored to be here serving the university community,” Goodwin said. “The faculty, staff and students here are awesome and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
