RMU officer promoted to acting chief of police
RMU Police Chief Jeffrey Schmetzer Photo Credit: (RMU Sentry Media/ Melanie Hulse)
August 30, 2019
MOON TOWNSHIP – After serving Robert Morris University for 15 years, Chief of Police Randy Mink retired at the end of the 2018 spring semester. A few months later, RMU’s former Police Sergeant Jeffrey Schmetzer has been set up to fill this role.
Chief Schmetzer has worked with Robert Morris over the span of 15 years. During his time, he served as an officer for four years and was then promoted to the role of sergeant. He took on multiple responsibilities, including supervisory work which helped prepare him for the role of chief.
“Chief Mink was putting more on me over the years. I think he had the goal and the preparation for me to step up and take over for him,” said Chief Schmetzer.
On July 1, Schmetzer did just that as he began working as RMU’s acting chief of police.
“It’s different,” said Chief Schmetzer, “I’m not wearing a uniform everyday, I’m not answering calls with the guys everyday, it’s a lot more administrative work, but I’m doing well with it and I enjoy it.”
With his new role, Schmetzer now has to focus on handling the police department’s budgeting and purchases and learning various processes that come with it. He is also in charge of reporting Cleary and UCR stats to the state. These stats provide information on the calls and crimes that are handled by the RMU police force.
The opening of the UPMC Events Center has also created a whole new set of responsibilities for the chief to take on.
“The concerts that we have had so far have worked very well,” said Schmetzer, “we handle the outside traffic flow and then we will have a few officers inside to assist with landmark security.”
Chief Schmetzer plans on taking advantage of the various opportunities that come with working on a college campus that allow him to help make a difference in students’ lives.
“What Chief Mink used to always say is that, we are teachers here as well, which I’ve learned over the years to be true,” said Schmetzer. “We have the opportunity to interact with the 18 and 22-year-old young adults on this campus and maybe step in before they take that leap too far beyond and can’t come back from it.”
In order to have the impact on students that he hopes for, Schmetzer hopes to start by pushing the department to be more visual on campus.
“I want to do more, I want the officers to be out more and interactive, showing that we are here for the safety and security of everyone that is on this campus,” said Schmetzer.
Chief Scmetzer’s overall goal is to continue the service that the police department already offers and to take that security and safety to the next level.
