1. To Protect
and
To Serve
Concept and Vision for the
Piedmont College Campus Police Department
to Enhance Student Success
Marie Griffin-Taylor, MPA

2. To Protect and To Serve:
What Does it Mean?
It is a promise, a social contract, between the police department
and the faculty, staff, and students of Piedmont College to provide
a safe, secure learning and personal growth environment to help
build the leaders of tomorrow.
For the students, it also means creating and developing a
partnership that begins the moment they step on campus until
graduation and beyond. It means modeling and promoting
constructive behaviors of personal accountability and responsibility,
guiding students toward positive choices, mentoring students
through difficult times by teaching them to overcome and learn
from defeats or negative choices, and celebrating every victory.
It is about the whole person, not just a single aspect.

3. To Protect…
Right Now, Within the Department
 Maintain a safe and secure campus
 Physical, emotional, and mental safety and security enhancement
through increased foot patrols, providing visibility and accessibility,
leading to opportunities to intermingle with students beyond call
responses
 Encourage the exchange of ideas between officers and students to
improve officer performance, connections, and communication
 Evaluate the current Emergency Response Plan for comprehensiveness,
adjust as necessary, then educate and train officers for familiarity
 Cultivate and maintain dynamic partnerships with students,
including mentoring and personal responsibility relationships

4. To Protect…
Right Now, Within the Department (continued)
 Increase departmental transparency and accountability
 Invite students to interact with officers
 Educate students about police department responsibilities
 Instruct department members on expectations
 Integrity and dedication
 Ethical behavior and decision-making
 Visibility, accessibility, and approachability
 Adherence to Georgia laws, the Clery Act, and Piedmont College
rules and regulations

5. To Protect…
Right Now, Outside the Department
 Invite the various outside law enforcement agencies within the
county and state onto the campus so they become familiar with
the grounds and students
 Develop and enrich partnerships with local agencies, improving
these associations and cooperation for greater response to
student needs
 Train with outside agencies on Emergency Preparedness and
Response
 Enhance relationships with outside organizations, including the
media, the Circle of Hope, and Prevent Child Abuse Habersham

6. To Protect…
In the Future, Within the Department
 Establish Departmental Standardized Policies and Procedures
commensurate with Georgia State Certification standards, a
recognized standard of professional excellence
 Institute bicycle patrols
 Develop Training requirements exceeding minimum State of
Georgia and Federal standards
 Clery Act requirements
 Training on interpersonal violence recognition, responsibilities, and response
 Major incident response, especially ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid
Response Training)
 Communication and leadership techniques
 Increasing cultural competency to understand the various cultures within the school
community and community at large
 Encouraging officers to enhance their education, knowledge, and
training on a personal level

7. To Protect…
In the Future, Outside the Department
 Create educational opportunities for students
 Instruction on the laws, the legal system, and mandates of law enforcement
 Promotion of personal safety
 Internet/Online safety
 Individual physical safety
 Civilian Active Shooter response training
 Educate about interpersonal (domestic, dating) violence
 Recognition
 Reporting procedures
 Reliefs (institutional, legal, and nonprofit organizations)
 Institute interdepartmental training with outside agencies
(Georgia State Patrol, Habersham County Sheriff’s Office,
Demorest Police Department, and others)

8. To Serve…
Right Now, Within the Department
 Implementing and posting a Code of Ethics and Oath of
Honor to enhance the ideals of personal responsibility and
accountability
 Understand the knowledge, abilities, skills, and goals of
employees to determine best possible assignments and help
overcome challenges
 Meet the needs of the officers where available to reduce
stress so officers can better focus on the needs of students
 Model positive behaviors and choices for emulation

9. To Serve…
Right Now, Outside the Department
 Encourage officers and students to volunteer in the
community
 Organizations like churches, Meals on Wheels, and the Soup Kitchen
 Coaching sports through the Habersham County Recreation
Department
 Helping with the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office Explorer
Program
 Increase training with outside agencies on Emergency
Response tactics, legal issues, and communication

10. To Serve…
In the Future, Within the Department
 Obtain Crisis Intervention Team (C.I.T.) Certification for all
department members to enhance response to individuals
experiencing mental health crises
 Teach stress coping skills and mechanisms to officers and
students to improve overall quality of life
 Learn a new language to increase communication with students
of other backgrounds
 Host learning events for students to showcase their culture to
officers and outside agencies

11. To Serve…
In the Future, Outside the Department
 Create opportunities for community involvement and
improvement
 Encouraging officers and students to create non-profit
organizations
 Create special events to help needy individuals
 Model volunteerism and community involvement
 Invite organizations like Court Appointed Special Advocates
(CASA) and the Department of Family and Children Services
(DFCS) to explain their organizational functions and ways to
help

12. To Protect and To Serve…
Why do it?
 Enhance student safety and security on multiple levels
(physical, mental, and emotional) so they can learn and
grow without fear
 Encourage communication and educational opportunities
between students and law enforcement professionals for
positive exchanges and progress
 Elevate personal growth among students and law
enforcement to increase overall trust in government and
benefit the local and global community

13. Proposed Mission Statement for the
Piedmont College Campus Police Department
The mission of the Piedmont College Campus Police
Department is to promote an atmosphere of learning and
community involvement by enhancing the physical, mental,
and emotional security and well-being of the students,
faculty, staff, and visitors; provide visible, proactive,
compassionate, prepared, and professional police services to
all stakeholders centered on integrity and personal
responsibility, free from bias or prejudice; and improving the
quality of life for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and the
greater community through modeling, mentoring, and
creating opportunities for involvement.