Police sergeant going the extra mile
Sergeant Dave Klauder lives by the motto his father taught him: to treat people as you would like to be treated. He sees himself as a sort of an unofficial counselor to the students he deals with, and he treats them with kindness and care.“Being a police officer at the University is not a traditional police job,” says Klauder. “There is more emphasis on working with students. I look at my job as helping students make the right decisions, kind of like a counselor.” He once helped a student who was struggling with prescription drug abuse get counseling when that student was being charged with larceny for stealing textbooks.
Klauder, assistant supervisor of the Department of Public Safety’s B-team, was nominated for I Spy by Jennie Cassidy, director of Counseling Services, for his consistent effort to go the extra mile. “He isn’t about just making arrests, he is about helping students make better decisions, and taking the time to talk with students to let them know that the University is behind them,” says Cassidy. “He is very reliable, cooperative and helpful with situations.”
Not only is Klauder a counselor to students, he is also an honorary member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, and he is on the Staff Advisory Committee. “I enjoy working with other staff members to improve our campus,” says Klauder.
He has also become the de facto public relations person for the department. “He is always willing to take on extra duties,” says Lt. Richard Uehlinger, supervisor of Department of Public Safety’s B-team. “He is an excellent public relations person and tries to get to know everyone at the University.”
“We love it when Officer Dave is on! He is very good with people, and we feel like he has our back,” says Nola Englehart, administrative specialist in the Department of Public Safety. “He is comfortable helping students, making sure they are in the right place and have all the necessary paperwork.”
Klauder joined the University in October 2005 as a security officer and became a police officer in February 2006. Before coming to the University, he worked in corporate security for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in Pennsylvania. He was also a police officer in the town of Sharon Hill, Pa. Klauder earned an associate’s degree in general studies from Delaware County Community College in Media, Pa.
He has a three-year-old son, Chase, and two cats, Rayna and Rosie. In his free time Klauder enjoys playing golf and spending time with his son; they often play miniature golf.
