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6 - DECEMBER 2000/JANUARY 2001 MBCWO - 63 Years Of Communications - HBCUs Making The Connection In The 21st Century. A Career in Security by Gary Faulkner STAFF WRITER The security and protection of the Morris Brown College faculty, staff and students, make up the primary concern of Chief Hendrix and the Morris Brown Police Depart ment. Chief Hendrix, a ten-year police officer with the college, said, “My background in counseling and having grad uated from a historically black college gave me a hun ger and a desire to help young black men and women who were attempting to get an education. I had something to offer them. I suddenly realized that that was my calling.” His police career started as a security officer and Air Police officer with the U.S. Air Force in 1970. He worked with the Atlanta University Center Police Department in 1980 after coming out of the military. He policed the cam puses of Morehouse, Spelman, Clark, ITC, and Morris Brown during his seven years with them. Chief graduated from Tennessee State University with a degree in sociology in 1969. Chief worked with the YMCA and its developmental programs helping inner city youth in Cleveland, OH, . before getting drafted for Vietnam War. Chief Hendrix played a key role in race relations and counseling in the military during a period when racial tension was high. Chief Hen drix said, “Because of my edu cation background and my working with young people I was asked by the military to assume that role. And I enjoy ed that role while in the military.” The job of Chief Hendrix and the other Morris Brown College police officers differs from Atlanta police officers, in that they work for the school. They are here to serve the school, and to serve the faculty, staff and students. Chief Hendrix said, “My job is trying to keep them focused. We’re not here to slam bam as Atlanta, Cobb County, DeKalb County. We’re here to try to keep our students from getting into trouble.” Chief Hendrix said part of the gratification of his job is seeing students who enter as freshmen, go through their learning experiences and grad uate after their forth or fifth year. Chief Hendrix said, “The pleasure of watching them walk across that stage, and move that tassel from one side of their head to the other as they get their diploma is one of the most beautiful things in the world to experi ence.” He said this applied especially to students who may have had' a lot of problems and he may have thought wouldn’t make it. There have been situations with students that required for them to be put in jail. They try to avoid this by allowing the school to take disciplinary actions and handle the issue.Chief Hen drix said the school is very adamant about certain crim inal activities, such as fight ing, domestic violence, threats, alcohol and drugs. In most of the cases involving these they would request that the school expel the studejnt. Chief Hendrix said, “There have been a few cases where there have been hard knock students and they’ve gone to jail, and they’ve come back a semester later, and they walk up to me and say ‘I’m sorry. You did the right thing. You won’t have to worry about me anymore. It’s been gratifying to see that they refocus them selves and began to remember those things that brought them and complete their education.” The media attention law enforcement officers receive sparked mixed feelings in Chief Hendrix. He said some of the negative things are true, but he feels officers are human beings like anyone else and will error. “We have some cops out there who have some serious indis cretion, but thank God that most of them are decent American citizens, who do uphold the laws of our com munity, society, and country,” Chief Hendrix said. “If it wasn’t for police, as bad as we have them, we would have to live in tyranny, life in anarchy. There’s just that thin line of blue, walking the streets, patrolling the streets, that keep us from being a very serious, corrupt and unbalanced society.” The police department received great support from Morris Brown College presi dent, Dr. Delores Cross, who expresses a major concern about security and protection of students. It was her ideas to put the police department in the dorm, where they felt the major problem was on campus. “She has done well with us in making sure that we have funds to finance our vacant positions so we can have enough pohce on campus. There are a lot of issues that remain to be developed as far as our commitment to security on campus and our new presi dent has given her word that she’s going to do whatever she can to increase the security and law enforcement protec tion on this campus,” Chief Hendrix said. “I believe her. I’m one of her avid followers,” Chief Hendrix said, “She’s shown me she’s a woman of her word.” A majority of the problems that arise on the campus stem from individuals coming from off campus. Chief Hendrix felt a large part of this was from major streets, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Vine Street, Mitchell Street and Sunset Street running through the campus. Chief Hendrix said, “Generally when we have any bust with marijuana or weapons its off campus people on our campus.” He said this indicates to him that they need a strong police force to protect the campus. Chief Hendrix felt the security cameras mounted in various places around campus has helped them to secure and protect the interest of the campus. YOUNG> GiFTed & Black and that’s a FACT! Don't Waste Your Gift. HELP KEEP THE A UC CAMPUS CLEAN Throw it in the trash A cans not on the campus °COLLEG? grounds. Photo: Christian Witkin. ©2000 NCPTP sex has consequenceslwww.teenpregnancy.org"