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It’s official! Justín Guevarez and Alison Reynolds, the newest patrol officers at Millersville University (MU), were celebrated on Dec. 17 during a swearing-in ceremony.
Guevarez and Reynolds started working at Millersville prior to the start of the fall semester and were officially recognized in front of friends, families, colleagues, President Daniel Wubah and Vice President for Finance and Administration Guilbert Brown.
Millersville University police chief Peter Anders says it’s important to celebrate the newest members of the team.
“It’s a really special time for the officers and their families,” Anders said. “It’s also a time to celebrate the beginning of their police careers and to emphasize the important role they play in the community as officers.”
The ceremony began with the posting of the colors by Millersville’s Reserve Officer Training Program (ROTC) Honor Guard, followed by the singing of the National Anthem by the Marauder Men’s Glee Club.
The swearing-in ceremony by Magisterial District Judge Josh Keller took place between remarks from Wubah and Anders. The ceremony concluded with a badge pinning.
“The badge pinning is part of our tradition, the officer picks a family member or friend who pins their badge,” Anders said. “It’s pretty neat because the badge for us really symbolizes not only our authority, but our heart. The badge represents everything we put into the oath of being a police officer.” Guevarez had his badge pinned by his mother Colleen Guevarez and Reynolds had her badge pinned by her father Art Reynolds.
Both Guevarez and Reynolds are patrol officers on campus. Guevarez handles the evening shift and Reynolds handles the midnight shift. Their jobs are to proactively work to keep campus safe, respond to incidents and build trust within the community.
For both officers, it’s their first significant job as police officers, Anders said. The job can be intimidating because of the perceptions some people have of officers. Yet both officers display the personality needed for the job.
“Justin has already displayed a knack for relating to others and being helpful,” Anders said. “His ability to be friendly and compassionate at all times is welcoming, and everything he does he does with a smile. He has a nice sense of humor that resonates with our students.
“Alison is cut from a similar cloth,” he added. “She has shown great care with students in need in residence halls and she came to us with some experience working in a local municipality. She’s capable of handling any incident. I think she also relates really well with our students.”
The swearing-in ceremony had an added bonus for the Millersville Police Department. Officers Phoulideth Chanthongthip, Mary Reynolds and Shawn Sweda were provided certificates of recognition by President Wubah and Vice President Brown.
They are the first three patrol officers to be designated as Community Policing Specialists in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) system. The process included completing about 80 hours of training and education on engagement and problem solving and emphasizes the commitment of the department to public mission.
