IUPD officer focuses on student safety at night

IU Police Department Officer Nick Luce pulled up in front of Tower A at Forest Quad.

Quick to exit his vehicle, he was briefed on the situation, escorted up the elevator and brought to a female student who had been found in the stairwell.

The woman, whose pink shirt was sporadically decorated with a diluted stream of vomit, sprawled on a blanket and other bed items.

Additional personnel arrived on the scene and surveyed the situation. The girl’s blood-alcohol content registered at about .21. 

“You have two options — You can go to jail, or you can be taken to the hospital,” Luce said as he gazed down at the student.

Luce said he is well aware of students’ all-fun-and-games-until-somebody-gets-a-drinking-ticket mentality. However, when it comes to his priorities as an IUPD officer, he said he feels a responsibility to keep students safe from both themselves and others.

Luce, other emergency response officials and the Forest resident assistant on duty helped the incoherent female to the elevator and ensured she was in proper hands when the ambulance arrived.

This event was not anything out of the ordinary for Luce; it was just another Saturday night. 

Luce, an IU alumnus and former IU football player, described his college experience as “the glory days.” He spoke of a time in which he, too, once dabbled in the waters of questionable decision-making.

Now, five years post-graduation, Luce patrols his former stomping grounds, acting as not only an enforcer but also a mentor.

“You can go enjoy college, but maturity has to increase,” Luce said.

He spoke of his night patrols as more of a safety precaution than an opportunity to cite and reprimand youth wandering campus at odd hours of the night. 
“We cater to our clientele, so to speak,” Luce said.

Luce said he isn’t out on the streets to write tickets, given that students are honest and straightforward, but he does ask that students be prepared to take responsibility when necessary. He said he wants to ensure the safe return home of all students, and he is always willing to simply talk. 

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Circling campus in his unmarked police car at about midnight on Oct. 2, Luce saw an alarmed young man in front of the Sigma Chi fraternity house who flagged down Luce’s vehicle.

The man explained to Luce that a semi-conscious unknown male (not associated with the house or fraternity) was sprawled on the front steps.

The young man who stopped Luce identified himself as Andrew Esstman, president of the IU chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Luce and other law enforcement officials on the scene commended Esstman and the fraternity for their prompt response and handling of the situation.

“Sigma Chi is committed to insuring the safety and well-being of all members of the Bloomington and University community. The fraternity has risk management practices in place, which allow us to handle safety situations swiftly, effectively and appropriately,” Esstman said in a statement.

At the scene at the Sigma Chi house, Luce knew each officer he encountered. He knows all the officers who work the late hours of the night shift. He spoke of a close and personal relationship with his coworkers. Luce described the department as one cohesive unit consisting of individuals with similar mindsets and goals.

“I’m not going to save the world. I’m not Superman. If I can change one student’s attitude, that’s great,” Luce said. “I want (students) to see us as more than a
blue uniform.”

Luce said he finds himself constantly trying to tackle misconceptions about police officers, especially those on campus. 

“We’re just as trained as any other department,” Luce said. “We train just as hard, if not harder.”

Luce said he has a passion for training and teaching and takes the responsibility very seriously. 

He grew up in and around law enforcement. His father served two terms as a county sheriff. Following in the “family business,” the prospect of teaching others excites Luce, he said. He will preach words of experience to anyone who asks.

“Think before you act, and put yourself in the best situation possible,” Luce said. “Those little things growing up that Mom and Dad, or whoever raised you, said that you put in the back of your minds are the things (students need to use most).”

As much as Luce praised his department, he also said there is always room for improvement. He said he would like to see further interaction with the Bloomington community and expand on a more interpersonal level.

“There’s always something,” Luce said. “Getting out of our cars and (meeting) people.”
Luce said one day he might consider an administrative position, but for now, the student athlete turned police officer is plenty comfortable in his police car.