by: Karli Mauldin
While Detective James Taylor is proud to serve the students at Troy University, he is above all grateful for the faculty and staff support he has received over the last five years. Before coming to Troy University, Taylor attended the police academy in San Diego then became a patrol officer for the Greenville Police Department. Taylor has been a part of the Troy University police department for nearly five years as a patrol sergeant and a detective. “I’ve been in law enforcement since 1992,” Taylor said. “I’ve seen a lot of things, but this university by far has been the most enjoyable to work for. The police department gets a lot of support from the university. Everyone that I’ve been in contact with including faculty and staff has been supportive.” Being a part of the Troy University Campus Police Department, Taylor deals with investigations mainly on campus including thefts, burglaries, drug paraphernalia and any violent crimes that may take place at the university. “I try to take a hands-on approach to every case no matter how big or small,” Taylor said. “From a textbook being stolen to a personal item like a wallet is just as important. It doesn’t matter the cost of an item. It matters that someone has been victimized.” Taylor takes a lot of pride in the work the campus police department does. The officers believe that every student is just as important as the last and they are very proud of the confidence they give to the campus. “We especially try to return phone calls no matter how important they are. We get about 15-20 calls about different cases each day and we try to take all of them so everyone knows they’re important.” When it comes to parents, faculty, staff and students the police department has an open-door policy. The police department tries to keep everyone informed as best as possible by taking interviews from the Troy University student organizations such as the Tropolitan and TrojanVision. Other than on campus, the police department will speak with outside medians including the Dothan Eagle, the Montgomery Advertiser, Troy Messenger and WSFA. “You can’t solve crimes without the community,” Taylor said. “A lot of cities don’t have the people we have. Troy is a functioning city that works together.” Taylor enjoys getting to immerse himself in the different cultures of students at Troy and considers it to be one of the biggest thrills for him. He loves seeing the good outcomes and helping the international students. “They’re the reason that I am so sufficient at what I do here,” Taylor said. “That’s the greatest thing you can have.”
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