Wright State Police | Photo by Soham Parikh | Edited by Kayli Thompson
Wright State University’s (WSU) student to officer ratio ranks between Beavercreek and Fairborn. Crime and justice studies enrollment is on the ascent in response to national tensions.
Green County law enforcement shortage
Beavercreek faces challenges in its search to find law enforcement applicants.
“Right now, we have 44 or 45 law enforcement, which puts us about five individuals short of our authorized staffing limit,” Shawn Sumner, captain of the Beavercreek Police Department, said.
According to the 2020 Census, this puts Beavercreek’s officer to citizen ratio at 1-to-1,034. Fairborn is facing similar plights.
“We have 50 [law enforcement] on staff and two more pending academy completion,” Terry Bennington, Beavercreek chief of police, said. “Our approximate population [as of January 2022] is 34,510.”
Fairborn’s officer to citizen ratio is 1-to-685.
Public safety at WSU
Greene County’s public service sector shortage hits close to home for WSU and its community.
“The [WSU] Department of Public Safety has not been experiencing problems filling vacancies with law enforcement positions like other police departments may be in Green County. We have not been affected or impacted, and I do not wish to comment on personnel matters for departments that are not our own,” Wright State’s Director of Public Safety, Kurt Holden, said.
When comparing the WSU police department’s staff directory to fall 2021’s total enrollment, the student to officer ratio on campus is 1-to-882, ranking right between Beavercreek and Fairborn.
WSU crime and justice studies enrollment surge
However, interest in crime and justice studies is still strong at WSU.
“Our enrollment is usually within the top three for the College of Liberal Arts,” Dr. Karen Lahm, the program director since 2015, said.
Lahm coordinates student internships within WSU’s crime and justice program and has taught criminology since 2001.
“There hasn’t been a decline in enrollment [between 2015 and today]; there’s maybe even more interest. People are coming in with a social justice awareness and a desire to change the system. […] Ethics, diversity, and de-escalation are a primary focus within our program,” Lahm said.
Going Forward
A more extensive discussion regarding social justice and law enforcement is taking place within the United States.
“Political scrutiny makes getting into the field intimidating, but good men and women are still coming in for the right reasons,” Bennington said.
