With iridescent sunglasses and a smile for each student, Daniel Reyes, a California Baptist University Safety Services officer, cruised campus in a golf cart while supporting and protecting the community.
After 21 years in law enforcement, Reyes began working for Safety Services when his daughter, Alejandra Reyes, started at CBU as a freshman. Nearly two and a half years later, Reyes continued serving the campus community by working 10-hour shifts four days a week.
Reyes’ responsibilities included conducting daily rounds, identifying suspicious activity, providing medical assistance and helping students return safely to their dorms. While the role differed from his previous law enforcement positions, Reyes recalled being told that “there was students and staff, and we’re all trying to be a community.”
As a result, Reyes made a point to connect with students by learning their names, talking with them and praying for them. He said he prayed and read the Bible about 30 minutes before each shift. Safety on campus, however, extended beyond the officers alone.
Avery Leatherwood, junior composition for stage and screen major, worked as a Safety Services student employee. From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., Leatherwood staffed the security booths at campus entrances in place of officers.
“I truly appreciate the student workers,” Reyes added, “cause if they don’t show up, I gotta work in the box … and it takes away from the campus.”
Leatherwood said working night shifts taught him skills and responsibilities uncommon in typical student jobs.
“I think the shifts I work—night shifts—it does [take a lot of responsibility] cause that’s when we tend to have medical emergencies.” Leatherwood said, “and an emergency vehicle [might get] to campus and not know where they’re going … so you have to help them in a timely manner and then call it over the radio and all that.”
Through handling rare crises, Leatherwood said he learned the importance of professionalism and decisiveness.
“… professionalism, working with officers, especially working with emergency vehicles and all that,” Leatherwood said. “You have to be able to react under pressure in important moments to not really doubt yourself or just take the little information you have and apply it to a current situation.”
Leatherwood also said the campus security system played a major role in maintaining safety.
“I don’t think I realized before I got the job how intense security is on campus and how well put together it is,” Leatherwood said. “But campus is kind of ridiculously safe because of the security team we have in place and how well communicated they are with each other. Their ability to organize things over the radio over just a couple of seconds is incredible.”
While California Baptist University maintained a safe environment for events, housing and daily campus life, Safety Services officers and student workers worked together to provide the security students experienced each day.
