The sworn ranks of UC Merced’s police department grew by two on Monday. UC Merced Police Chief Chou Her administered the oath to new officers joining his department.
Angela Henke and Nicolas Rosales had friends and family on hand as they officially joined the force. Henke’s mother pinned her badge on her, while Rosales’ aunt did the honors for him.
“What we do here with UC policing is a little different,” Her said. “Families send their loved ones to UC Merced and entrust their safety to us during their time here. It’s our responsibility to provide a safe environment for each student to live and learn.” That means services available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for calls that range from safety concerns to health matters.
“We handle the whole gamut of calls to ensure our community is safe,” Her said.
In addition to joining the local department, Henke and Rosales became part of the University of California system. That means they could be deployed elsewhere as the need arises to help sister campuses. For example, UC Merced has had two officers at Berkeley’s campus this week.
The addition of Henke and Rosales brings UC Merced’s sworn police staff to 18, Her said.
