Student finds career with IUPD

After the summer of his sophomore year, junior and IU Police Department officer Ben Rupenthal completed the IUPD police academy, making him a sworn police officer and member of the law enforcement community.

Splitting his time between being a student and working as a police officer has affected Rupenthal’s life in more ways than just limiting his free time.

“When I get on an elevator, conversation stops,” Rupenthal said. “Even if they were talking about something completely over there, they stop.”

While the officers live in the dorms like regular students, they can only room with other officers, and some students said they feel uncomfortable around them.

“You walk by them and know they’re looking at you,” said freshman Christina Davies. “It makes me self-conscious.”

Davies said she enjoyed talking with the officer who lived on her floor when she was out of uniform but found her intimidating when she was on duty.

Freshman Dan Gower said he disliked the police presence in the dorms.

“I would prefer they didn’t live in the dorms,” Gower said. “Part of college is drinking. There’s no call to arrest someone as they walk into their dorm room. If you’re learning how to drink responsibly and you make it back to your dorm safely, then they’re just busting you because they can.”

This negative impression of police work can make it difficult for IUPD officers to feel like regular students.

“Most of my friends are cops,” Rupenthal said. “When people find out you’re a cop, they think you’re going to get them in trouble for something in their past.”

The IUPD deals predominantly with IU students, and the majority of its cases are drug- and alcohol-related, Rupenthal said.

Though many students expressed concern over the police presence on campus, some said they liked having officers live in the dorms.

“I think it makes me feel safer, to an extent,” freshman Amanda Travis said. “The fact that they’re nearby is comforting.”

Rupenthal has learned to deal with the issues his profession causes him when he’s off duty. He said he tries to keep his lives separate in the classroom, although he said he has only ever had one professor who had a problem with him being a cop.

“I try to keep it under wraps as long as possible,” Rupenthal said.

Rupenthal had his own reason why police are seen in a more complicated light than other service professions.

“Nobody calls the police when something good happens,” Rupenthal said.