You have to start at the bottom and prove yourself. You go in steps so that you are prepared, because you might look good on paper, but they will get to know you, Stg. Dal Toruno of the EC police department said about paying ones dues.

Toruno had always had it in the back of his mind that he wanted to go into police work. After working in construction, Toruno said that he went back home and decided to pursue what he wanted to do.

“I thought if I was a student and working on campus, that would be convenient,” Toruno said. “I went to the Campus police station and picked up an application and I got hired as a police cadet.”

I worked really hard at that, Toruno said, then they opened up a position as a police officer in June 1995 and I got hired.

He added that while it’s a hard job, he see’s results right away as he knows that he is really helping people.

“There are no typical days here,” Toruno said. “There are days when right from the get-go, and I start at 7 a.m., you get a call about a person that was found in the construction site, halfway naked and acting strange.”

He obviously had mental issues and he was not going quietly, Toruno said. Next thing we know, we’re struggling with him. We’re on the ground with him at 7 o’clock in the morning, he said.

Toruno also recalls a time where he was called to the basement of the Administration Building because someone was sleeping downstairs.

“He was homeless and gave me a hard luck story saying he didn’t have anywhere else to stay,” he said. “I found out who this person was and it turns out he was out on parole for burglary.”

Toruno said that while walking around campus and patrolling buildings, students will thank him and the rest of the officers for what they do on campus.

Students like Jenny Orozo, 20, child development major, said that having officers like Toruno make her feel better about being on campus.

“I think it’s great. We need people who are always acting for us, always around and it makes me feel safe,” Orozo said.

“Unless you’re a police officer, you really don’t understand,” Toruno said. “But in light of what’s going on in the world, they kind of see what we deal with and what we might have to deal with.”