by Kris Fronzak, News Editor
Wooster Police Chief Steven Glick is slated to take over for Joe Kirk as Director of Security for the College on Aug. 8, 2011.
Glick has been a part of the Wooster police department since 1979. He grew up in the city and graduated from The College of Wooster, with a bachelor’s degree in history. He was employed by Security and Protective services (SPS) while enrolled at the college, and in his senior year, Glick joined the city police force.
Neither SPS nor the city police force anticipates a rough transition. “The department has a long history of training, and the new chief will be an internal candidate,” Glick said. “I can walk out of here knowing that this is going to continue. That’s a good feeling.”
Currently, Glick is taking time off to talk to College administration and get the lay of the land. A lot of changes have occurred since he was enrolled in the 70s. One of the most significant differences for him is the statewide change in the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. Originally, a majority of Wooster students could legally drink ó now only about 25 percent can.
“I don’t think people understand the huge difference that is for any community, where you have a large group of individuals who cannot all consume alcohol. That certainly changes the dynamics,” Glick explained, though he added that the dynamic is not necessarily worse because of it.
“We all know that people under 21 drink. They should not for a variety of reasons,” he said. “I’m not against alcohol but the law says that if you’re under 21 you cannot consume alcohol.”
What this means for the campus at large is added responsibility upon those who host parties ó a responsibility that Glick intends to take seriously.
“Anybody who sponsors a party has a responsibility to make sure that people under the age of 21 don’t consume alcohol. That’s a direct liability to go back to those individuals and fraternities and sororities. Eventually something bad will happen ó and it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when. There could be personal and organizational liability as a result.”
Glick was a member of the fraternity Phi Delta Sigma while in college, which he said means that he knows the tricks of the trade.
“Society and expectations have changed since I was on campus. Things that we were able to do and not raise an eyebrow at have changed. It was beginning to change when I left,” he said. “I think what’s important is no matter whether they belong to a Greek organization or not, that our response to anything that would occur is the same.”
Glick also explained that the relationship between the citizens of Wooster and the College is not as negative as it appears to be. “Have there been negative incidents? Yes there have. But I think the whole ëus versus them’ is overplayed.”
In terms of the actual takeover and its expected effect on students, Glick stated that he is a proponent of fostering relationships.
“I think if you build good relationships, when you run into difficulties you can work through them with a minimum of hard feelings,” he said.
“If you treat people with as much respect as possible, in the long-term that helps the organization and it certainly helps the community. Enforcement and education are both part of the equation,” Glick explained. “It all starts with having a civil discourse with people.”
As director, Glick intends to make the 13-person department as professional and proactive as possible. He has ideas for change, but believes it would be premature to make concrete plans at this time.
“There’s going to be a learning curve for both security, the college community and myself,” he said.
Glick was not actively looking to leave the police force but would have had to retire in January of 2014. When the opportunity arose to come to the College, he gladly accepted it. It was a transition that took months of discussion with members of the administration.
“This was actually something I’d had in the back of my mind anyway,” he said, explaining that he now feels he has come full circle. He is eagerly anticipating working with a new staff and meeting the challenges of his new job.
Glick has a son that graduated from the College in 2007, and a daughter, Melissa, who is currently a junior at the College.
He hopes to bring a unique perspective to the job, utilizing his strong ties to the city, law enforcement and the college itself.
“I’m looking forward to working with the college community while maintaining my ties with the city,” Glick said.