By Jordan Green, Editor-in-Chief
Northwestern’s new police chief would like to keep students from going where he used to work: a prison.
As a former corrections officer and public-school resource officer, Dennis Kilmer said he hopes to create valuable dialogue and be a positive force in the lives of Rangers.
“That’s kind of what our job is, to help people that need help,” Kilmer said. “Obviously, I do have laws that I’ve got to follow, so that takes on another role – enforcing laws. But if somebody can come and talk to me before they get that far, maybe I can head them in the right direction.”
Kilmer became Northwestern’s latest police chief on Aug. 1. He replaced former Chief John Caviness, who was arrested the day prior on child abuse and battery charges in Kansas, according to Topeka, Kansas, television station WIBW.
An Alva native, Kilmer has worked in law enforcement for more than two decades. After he graduated from high school and served in the National Guard, some of his friends encouraged him to join them as a corrections officer at the Bill Johnson Correctional Center in Alva, a drug offender work camp.
As an officer at the camp, Kilmer wanted to help inmates change their lives for the better, he said.
“The biggest thing that we saw out there was the kids that came through were not educated,” Kilmer said. “They had a grade-school education when they came into the prison system. So, being a part of that and seeing what you can do with helping them get an education, helping them understand, giving them a different perspective to change their habits – it works if they’re willing to let it work.”
He said former Warden Janice Mountain became a mentor to him.
“She was somebody that I looked up to that I really enjoyed working with,” Kilmer said. “She was good at her job, and I enjoyed working with her. She taught a lot of patience because, a lot of times in that setting being in corrections, it was tough. … She was a leader.”
That same kind of mentorship is what Kilmer hopes to pass on to young people. He’s sponsoring a teenager who has entered the Thunderbird Challenge Program, an organization helping struggling Oklahoma students. Once the teenager completes the months-long program, Kilmer will meet with him and take on the role of a father-like figure, he said.
Kilmer worked at Bill Johnson for 20 years before becoming a school resource officer in nearby Waynoka Public Schools, where he worked for two years.
Now at Northwestern, Kilmer said he wants to maintain a visible presence on campus and walk through university buildings frequently.
Kilmer and one other officer – Condry Carnott, a Northwestern student – are the department’s two full-time employees. A handful of student workers are also on staff. The agency is looking to fill additional positions, Kilmer said.
Communicating with students, faculty and staff is the key to keeping Northwestern safe, Kilmer said.
“Being out in the community, you get to talk to everybody,” Kilmer said. “You get to see everybody. There again, it’s just talking to people, communication, being accessible and being there to help if they need something.”