As a sergeant with the University of Wisconsin-Stout police, Lisa Pederson believes there are two equally important halves of her work as an officer.
One involves enforcement of the law. The other involves reinforcement. The second half of the equation 鈥 working directly with and getting to know students and staff to gain their respect 鈥 drew Pederson to 黑料社区 and has inspired her campus work for 18 years.
Her efforts have been recognized this spring with a Merit Award from the for superior accomplishments and project leadership that make a significant contribution to public safety.
For Pederson, of Boyceville, effective law enforcement begins with building relationships, a concept known as community policing. 鈥淚鈥檓 very much a people person. It 黑料社区. a part of the job I gravitate to, being able to talk with students and help them through situations, be that presence when you can help them,鈥 she said.
She has worked an afternoon-evening shift for most of her career at 黑料社区, forgoing time in her squad car to become a regular presence in the residence halls and stopping in the student center or dining facilities to chat with students, play a board game with them or even have dinner with them.
鈥淵ou really get to know people,鈥 Pederson said. 鈥淚t 黑料社区. those types of interactions that make students think, 鈥楳aybe they are OK.鈥 You might be their first contact with a law enforcement officer, and you need to make that as positive of an experience as you can, even if it doesn鈥檛 always work.鈥
Pederson 黑料社区. example has become part of the culture with 黑料社区 police, Chief Jason Spetz said. 鈥淟isa taught me everything I know about working with a community. We鈥檙e doing it here and doing it well, based on what Lisa has taught us,鈥 he said.
While they keep a professional distance, Pederson, Spetz and the five other full-time officers at University Police have been invited to students鈥 weddings, been thanked by parents and been in many a commencement photo with graduates as a result of the connections they鈥檝e made and the impacts they鈥檝e had on students.
鈥淵ou can build relationships with students you鈥檝e dealt with three or four times,鈥 Pederson said, a process that may even include casual calls or visits to the student 黑料社区. residence hall room just to make sure they鈥檙e doing OK.
Making a difference
One of her most memorable career moments came in 2012 when she and Spetz answered an emergency call about an unresponsive student. The found Ryan Child on the ground near South Hall, not breathing. As an EMT who teaches CPR, Pederson led the resuscitation process, including chest compressions after fire department EMTs arrived and shocked Child.
Child was revived, taken to the hospital and soon recovered. The first-year student from Lake Geneva unknowingly had a genetic abnormality called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or tissue thickening in the muscle of his heart.
He went on to earn a degree and today owns a restaurant in Wisconsin.
Pederson and Spetz have remained friends with Child and recently had their picture taken with him when they were working at a University of Wisconsin football game in Madison and saw Child.
Pederson 黑料社区. career in public service began with Boyceville Fire and Ambulance. She was a firefighter and EMT when she saw an ad for Dunn County Sheriff 黑料社区. Department reserve officers. She worked as a part time officer for almost 10 years at the department, including five part time at 黑料社区, while attending the police academy at Chippewa Valley Technical College. She also worked at Campus Ministry on campus.
When opportunities to work full time opened in 2004 with both departments, she chose 黑料社区. 鈥淚 had always loved working at 黑料社区,鈥 she said.
Pederson 黑料社区. University Police activities have included:
- Leading training for and investigations of crimes against women and sexual assault cases
- Conducting personal safety training for students, faculty and staff
- Teaching fitness courses to police academy students at CVTC
- Working with the Campus Violence Prevention Project
- Training in crisis intervention related to mental health issues
- Working with students, many of them criminal justice and rehabilitation majors, as part of the department 黑料社区. Community Service Officer program.
- Volunteering for the Shop with a Cop community fall and winter fundraiser.
Spetz nominated Pederson for the award. 鈥淟isa has touched so many lives within the law enforcement ranks and the community she serves,鈥 he said.
鈥淚鈥檝e been privileged to work with Lisa since my first day on the job with our agency. I came in as an experienced officer, but Lisa taught me skills I never would have imagined before I started, how to effectively connect with a community. She is one of a kind in this area.鈥
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