He said he couldn’t wait to make use of the technology.
After 18 years working at IUPD, Stephenson has witnessed the department change – experiencing several police chiefs and the merger of all IU police departments into one force.
Stephenson was named captain of the Bloomington force of IUPD last week, replacing now-retired Capt. Thomas Lee. Stephenson has most recently served as an IUPD lieutenant, coordinating special events on campus, planning security for football and basketball game days and overseeing the department’s part-time and cadet officer programs.
Now stepping into his role as captain, Stephenson is prepared to make his own changes by advancing the department into a changing environment of policing.
“This is a transition time for police in the United States,” Stephenson said. “Some of the practices and some of the traditional methods of policing, we’re finding out are not necessarily the best way to be a valuable member of the community, so we want to change that.”
Stephenson said he was initially excited to receive the job offer and continue working with those in the department.
“It’s an opportunity to work with a great bunch of people,” Stephenson said. “Our officers and dispatchers and our clerical folks, they’re all fabulous. The students and faculty and staff are very fortunate to have this group of people working to keep them safe.”
Before stepping into his new position, Stephenson submitted an application and sat for an hour-long interview with the IUPD deputy chiefs of Indianapolis and Bloomington, the director of IU Emergency Management and Continuity Services and a representative from University Human Resources.
“I think that in Andy’s case, he shows a tremendous amount of professional maturity in a wide range of situations,” IUPD Deputy Chief Doug Johnson said. “He’s been able to very well manage events and circumstances as they come up and that was impressive to the interview committee.”
Stephenson was asked a series of 18 questions in his interview, ranging from discussions of his qualifications to how to interact with other departments on campus.
Despite initially having several applicants from within the department, Johnson said all others had backed out before interviews, leaving only Stephenson.
However, Johnson said this did not automatically assure Stephenson the job.
“If the interview committee felt that he wasn’t up to the task or wasn’t the right person, then the next step would have been to open the process for candidates outside the university,” Johnson said. “Now having said that, he really did a good job on the interview and his performance at the University and with the police department has been really nothing but exemplary.”
In his new role, Stephenson will be responsible for communicating with other local departments and handling federal regulations under the Clery Act, which requires all federally funded universities to disclose crime statistics.
Stephenson has already proposed a change to officer’s shifts, establishing two 12-hour shifts a day as opposed to the department’s current three eight-hour shifts. Stephenson said the change, which will begin next month, will allow officers more time off.
“It’s something that we’ve talked about over the years, something I’ve always been in favor of,” Stephenson said. “I knew if I was ever in a position to do that, I want to change things, shake things up a bit with the way we’re structured.”
Stephenson said his goals stepping into his new position include improving IUPD’s relationship with the community, getting officers more involved in their districts and focusing on a more proactive approach to policing.
“I want to increase the opportunity for people to get to know us in informal situations,” Stephenson said. “I want to get the officers out of the cars and in the buildings.”
Stephenson is currently working toward building relationships with minority groups on campus, specifically with international students.
He said he is also working to develop a ride along program to allow those frequently working with IUPD, such as resident assistants, to learn more about the department.
“IUPD has been here a long time,” Stephenson said. “It’s been a great organization, and it will still be here after I’m gone. I just hope to leave a positive stamp on it.”
