by Ella Smith, Student Public Relations Writer
Upholding local, state and federal laws for the purpose of protecting communities with the highest ethical standards are commitments regularly found on mission statements of law enforcement agencies across the United States.
Locally, Ohio police departments in Beavercreek, Springfield and Xenia have discovered graduates from Cedarville University’s criminal justice program are ready to fulfill that mission.
“We have a great reputation of delivering professional law enforcement service, and the Cedarville University graduates easily fit into our culture to help us uphold that reputation,” said Jeff Fiorita, chief of police for the city of Beavercreek.
Within the last four years, eight criminal justice graduates have been hired by local police departments and sheriff's offices in Ohio communities. Luke Bartlam ’24 and Elijah Kain ’24 are working at the Springfield Police Department, Noah Thomas ’23, Olivia Zalar ’23 and Taylor (Smart) Whiting ’23 work at the Beavercreek Police Department, Kaley Aurand ’23 works at the Xenia Police Department, John Douglas works at the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and Connor Swayne ’23 serves in the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
One of the most recent hires, Bartlam graduated from the police academy in August and was promptly hired by the Springfield police department.
"I always wanted to work in an industry that involved helping other people,” said Bartlam. “I wanted to be challenged to learn and grow, and working for the Springfield Police Department gives me that opportunity.”
Bartlam credits much of his preparation for upholding justice with integrity to Cedarville’s criminal justice program and professors.
"One of the most important aspects of working in law enforcement is having integrity. I knew that studying criminal justice at Cedarville would give me a foundation of values, ethics and morals that is essential for a career in law enforcement,” said Bartlam. “All my professors had experience in law enforcement or justice and were able to teach from a place of experience and impart their knowledge to me.”
Beavercreek’s Police Department is home to three Cedarville graduates, and their values, personal integrity and commitment have not gone unnoticed.
“I have been directly involved in our hiring process over the past 20 years, and in my experience, I have noticed a difference in hiring young men and women who are recent college graduates. Those from Cedarville conduct themselves in a mature and professional manner," added Fiorita. “They are also open-minded and willing to learn our culture of doing police work, which means delivering service with the utmost integrity as we strive to be respected and embraced by our community.”
Cedarville University, a Baptist institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences, and professional fields. With 6,384 students, it ranks among Ohio's largest private universities and is recognized by the Wall Street Journal as being among the nation’s top three evangelical universities. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics, and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.