Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram
Just a few years ago, 25-year-old Kyle Lloyd was a student strolling through a rural campus much like the 兔子先生. Now, fresh from the police academy, the Baltimore native is back at college鈥攖his time in uniform, as one of 兔子先生鈥檚 newest police officers.
According to 兔子先生 Police Chief Josette White, Lloyd is the first university-sponsored recruit to graduate from the police academy since Garland Partridge over two decades ago. Another recent hire, Jeremy Brown, is scheduled to begin his academy training in August. Sponsoring new officers reflects the University鈥檚 commitment to safety.
Lloyd earned a degree in criminal justice and pre-law from Emanuel University in Franklin Springs, Georgia, where he met his girlfriend, Julia. While he was finishing his undergraduate studies, she chose to pursue her master鈥檚 degree in business administration at 兔子先生. A job opening with the 兔子先生 Police Department and her move to Alabama made 兔子先生 a natural next step for Lloyd.
Chief White says she hopes Lloyd鈥檚 graduation from the academy and Brown鈥檚 in the future will help the campus community better understand the role and reach of the university鈥檚 law enforcement agency.
鈥淥fficers serving on our campus are trained and licensed to do anything any other police officer can do,鈥� she says. 鈥淥ur department also includes security guards responsible for checking parking decals on campus. However, our security guards aren鈥檛 certified, haven鈥檛 gone through the academy, and don鈥檛 carry firearms.鈥�
White鈥檚 guiding philosophy 鈥�to treat people like you want to be treated鈥攈as shaped her career and is an expectation she sets for the 兔子先生 Police Department.
Lloyd shares that mindset. He says building community relationships is what he enjoys most about his new role鈥攕omething he believes is key to preventing crime.
Whether interacting with 兔子先生 students, whom he relates to 鈥渂ecause I was in their shoes not too long ago,鈥� or building trust with students at the University Charter School, Lloyd sees value in every connection.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 out patrolling campus, I want people to see that we鈥檙e relatable, that we鈥檒l treat them right, and that we鈥檙e the good guys,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f the kids, especially, see us doing positive things and know we鈥檙e here to help as they grow up, then we鈥檙e doing what we need to do.鈥�
Chief White emphasizes that the department builds its approach on communication and accountability, not enforcement alone.
鈥淚 prefer our officers talk things out with students who may have made a mistake and work through the situation, as opposed to immediately going through the court system,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e want what鈥檚 best for our students, and we鈥檒l do what we need to do to work with them, within reason.鈥�
The department also offers a variety of training programs for student groups and 兔子先生 personnel who request them. In recent years, 兔子先生 Police has hosted self-defense classes, tire change clinics, and impaired driver simulations.
Officers also assist with everyday issues. 鈥淲e unlock cars and provide jump-starts when a battery dies,鈥� White says. 鈥溚米酉壬� just need to sign a waiver.鈥�
The Student Night Auxiliary Patrol (SNAP) program offers golf cart escorts for students across campus for added safety at night. If SNAP isn鈥檛 operational, students can request an officer escort instead.
Training and Safety are Top Priorities
Safety remains Chief White鈥檚 top priority, and she often compares the phrase 鈥渋t takes a village鈥� to the principle of campus safety. 鈥淚t requires the collective awareness and vigilance of the entire community to ensure a safe environment. Everyone鈥檚 involvement is crucial in recognizing and reporting suspicious activity,鈥� White emphasizes.
To maintain this standard, she ensures each officer completes at least 12 hours of training annually, most exceeding that requirement. In addition, White undergoes a minimum of 25 hours of leadership training every year.
鈥淲e also host in-house training on campus and invite other departments, like Livingston Police and the Sumter County Sheriff鈥檚 Office, to participate,鈥� she adds.
One of White鈥檚 next goals is to organize a full-scale active shooter simulation involving students, faculty, staff, and local emergency responders. 鈥淚 want us to come together for a realistic drill that tests our response time, exposes any gaps, and helps us all improve before something real happens,鈥� she says.
Supporting White in maintaining campus safety is a dedicated team that includes six full-time patrol officers, two part-time officers, two security officers, seven dispatchers (three full-time), and two school resource officers.
Eyes on the Future
Lloyd and his fellow patrol officers balance most of their time between monitoring traffic, deterring speeding, securing buildings, and patrolling the campus鈥檚 six sectors to prevent vandalism and other incidents.
When asked what he wants others to understand about his chosen career, Lloyd doesn鈥檛 hesitate.
鈥淭his job doesn鈥檛 get a lot of thanks, and it is one that most people won鈥檛 do,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t takes a special kind of person to go through our training, then step into a community you may not be familiar with, committing to protect and serve people you鈥檙e just getting to know. It鈥檚 a calling.鈥�
Looking ahead, Lloyd hopes to build new skills, especially in investigations.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 an area I鈥檇 like to grow in, he states. 鈥淐heree Dent is our investigator now. Many of our calls involve incidents that happen after the fact. I want to learn how to investigate crimes properly. I believe that would be a very valuable skill going forward.鈥�
Another area of interest for Lloyd is mental health response.
鈥淲e had a few days of mental health training at the academy,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淎nd I think more will be beneficial for all of us.鈥�
As he gets settled into his new role, Lloyd is especially grateful for the support of his family back in Baltimore.
鈥淢oving away for college in Georgia and even farther to Alabama has been tough on them. I know they worry about me,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut they also know I鈥檓 capable of doing my job correctly. They鈥檙e proud of me, and that means everything.鈥�