Dickinson’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) hopes promoting Rob Stone from crossing guard to DPS officer will be a meaningful step towards improving the department’s connection with the community. 

“It will help overall relationships with public safety and students,” said Dee Danser, chief of DPS. “He’s going to be dealing with people with the same care and respect, whether it’s you’re making a bad choice, you’re really sick, something’s happened to you and you need help, or you’re crossing the street.” 

Stone, who has worked at Dickinson for 7 years, said he has been working to complete the first stages of the Field Officer Training (FTO) process since Oct. 1. This includes weapons training and learning laws, constitutional rights and college policy, said Danser. She said that Stone does not have previous police training so his FTO will likely take six months of complete, though he has the advantage of knowing the campus and its residents.

Stone says the training is a new experience and he is excited to enter his new role. It is a full-time position with benefits and will allow him to interact with students “on a more personal level,” he said. He anticipates some students may be upset about not seeing him in the cross-walk everyday but overall, he said the change will be good for the Dickinson community and himself, and that his job title is the only thing changing.  

“I’m still going to be the same guy I was as a crossing guard. And no ‘Officer,’ it’ll just be Rob. I’m not going to change who I am, and I hope the students don’t perceive me as a different person,” Stone said, “I’m going to be the happy-go-lucky officer, still Rob though.”

Danser says Stone’s personality is a key reason for his promotion. “He truly is an exceptional human being. He’s one of the kindest, most genuine souls I have ever met in my entire life.”

“He has such a care for this community and students,” Danser said. “I think he could teach everyone something.”

All DPS officers have been making an effort to engage more with the community since the beginning of this year. Danser said officers have attend floor meetings, engaged in dialogue with sports teams and Greek organizations, and are just “having a lot more conversations.” 

The entire department has also begun participating in the national movement, Coffee with a Cop. As part of the program, law enforcement pays for community members’ drinks and have discussions with them. DPS has extended this program through the semester. 

“I know that other officers are here because they are dedicated, but Rob has such away about him, about showing that and communicating that,” says Danser, “I think that it will help other officers be more comfortable expressing themselves in the same way.”