rough draft chief loney

At most college campuses, the police will never ease up on the students. However, Chief Loney is an exception to that rule, as he just wants the students to be safe. “ I’m not saying I’m a hero here, but we’re not bad guys,” says Chief Loney.

Working with the Sheriff’s Department since he was age 18, Chief Loney retired after 30 years with the department and is now the Chief at Wittenberg University. Not only has he dedicated all his time to this career, but his grandfather, father, and brother have also been involved in law enforcement.

With full frontal force, Chief Loney turns a blind eye when students keep the tradition going of streaking through the hollow. “It ain’t like robbing a bank in my book,” Chief Loney describes. He believes that so long as students aren’t breaking or damaging anything the tradition may continue since it has been going on since day one.

Chief Loney feels that students are starting to take responsibility and are not as wild anymore. “Things have changed for the better. Students seem a lot more respectful.” The biggest offenses on campus are alcohol infractions. From 210 liquor law violation referrals in 2006, to 27 in 2008, the arrests have been decreasing every year.

As the Wittenberg community refers to Chief Loney as the “e-mail man,” and he says, “I believe firmly in giving information as fast as I can.” Wittenberg gets an average of 2,100 to 2,2000 calls a month. Ten calls per hour are made by students on Friday and Saturday nights for the escort system, which the security force takes over after 12 a.m.

Keeping trespassers and unwanted persons off campus is another way of protecting the community; Chief Loney does his best to make sure this task gets done. Can collectors have in the past entered residence homes, used student cell phones, or taken students’ sandwiches. As long as students give permission to the can collectors, they are allowed on their properties. Unless a non-Wittenberg person commits a crime, the Wittenberg security can’t restrict their access to the open facilities the campus offers.

Chief Loney is just like any other person at Wittenberg, except that he always carries a gun. He does his best to make students feel less homesick, and he is a person by whom no one should feel intimidated. Making sure Wittenberg is a safe living and learning environment, he says, “I wouldn’t trade this job for the world.”