Huntington University’s Chief of Police, Justin Faw, was sworn in on August 14 by U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas M. Hakes.
“Congratulations to Justin on being officially sworn in as our campus police chief,” said Dr. Ron Coffey, vice president for student life. “Without a doubt, Justin’s background and training equip him well to educate our campus on the latest safety protocols. His professionalism and commitment to doing police work well were evident the first day he walked on campus. We are blessed to have someone of Justin’s caliber as a part of the Huntington University community.”
Faw returns to HU after spending over 20 years in law enforcement in Marion, Indiana, holding the ranks of corporal, sergeant, lieutenant and captain. He was assigned to the detective division for 12 years and worked a wide variety of cases. He also was a member of the SWAT team for five years. The Connersville native was a graduate of the FBI National Academy in its 250th session. Less than 1 percent of all law enforcement officers in the world are accepted to this police academy. He is a certified crime scene investigator through the State of Indiana, certified child forensic interviewer, certified breath test operator and certified Indiana school safety specialist. He also holds a master of science in public safety administration from Capella University.
The Huntington University Police Department (HUPD) has already seen changes under Faw’s leadership. The 1998 graduate believes that one of the key components to a safe campus is a police presence on campus.
“Law enforcement officers operate on what’s called a Force Continuum,” said Faw. “The first level on that continuum is officer presence. Ninety-eight percent of police encounters with bad people end when the police just merely show up. HU will have high visibility of police by design as I firmly believe that officer presence in and of itself is a deterrent to criminal activity. There will be a constant flow of police officers in and out of campus at all hours, not only working for the University but working for Huntington City PD, Huntington County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, etc.”
Faw and his team will be stationed in the newly-redesigned Police Office located in the lower level of Wright Hall. They will work together to further the HUPD Mission which is to provide a safe, secure, professional, and positive educational environment for all faculty, staff, students, and guests of Huntington University. The HUPD is proud to be a supporting member of the Huntington University community and will strive to deliver a quality law enforcement service by developing relationships through various forms of community oriented policing strategies.