By Hailey Murphy
Donnell Tanksley, Western’s assistant police chief, will be leaving for a new position as Chief of Police at Portland State University.
He has worked at Western for three years as the assistant director of public safety and assistant chief of police.
In 2014, he retired from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, where he worked as an officer for over 21 years before coming to Western.
At Western, Tanksley oversaw parking enforcement, the police department, the dispatch center and police department records. Essentially, he oversaw the safety and security of everyone on campus.
Having never worked at a university before, Tanksley had to learn about policing in a campus environment, he said. Campus safety is rather specialized compared to municipal policing, and thus was an adjustment for Tanksley.
“The fundamental difference is that here we have a particular community, which is faculty, staff, students and visitors,” said Tanksley. “Our approach is really to be listeners, to make things a teachable moment for people…We’re a bit more patient.”
This sense of community has made all the difference for Assistant Chief Tanksley. For one, he’s proud of the community he’s in, and he’s learned that these connections are essential to campus safety.
“My proudest moment is the connectivity that I’ve accomplished since I’ve been here,” Tanksley said. “I know students, I know faculty, I know staff, I know members in the Bellingham community into Whatcom county…[Western’s] really taught me that it’s important to know people and to know your campus community. Not just faculty, not just staff, but students… Really,if it wasn’t for these people, I wouldn’t have the need to be here.”
Additionally, having a community at Western has taught Tanksley skills he will take into his new position. He’s learned that working on a campus is about working for the university’s stakeholders and serving the needs of students. He’s learned that everyday is a different day, with new people who have new needs.
Tanksley is taking these skills with him to Portland State University. There, he hopes to properly represent the university by adhering to their objectives and their mission statement. He also hopes to create a functioning relationship between students and police officers.
Given the public’s current distrust of police, Tanksley wants to emphasize impartiality and fairness. He believes all people should be treated with equal respect, dignity and compassion and that police work should reflect that belief.
“Right now is not the proudest time in history for police officers because of things that have been going on nationally… But [I’m proud] to let the community know that we are people as well, and that we truly care about people,” Tanksley said. “Everyday when we put the uniform on and go out there, it’s about helping people. It’s about helping the helpless. We’re guardians of the unprotected.”
Tanksley says working at Western has showed him how to embrace the differences between people. No matter where someone’s from, what ideas they have, what their life experiences are or what they look like, they are worthy of protecting.
“They’re all here for the same goal, which is to get education,” Tanksley said. “Part of law enforcement and public safety is that we’re here to provide that safe secure environment, so everyone can have a chance to embrace the opportunity to learn.”
Tanksley would like to thank Westerns students, staff and faculty, as well as his officers for being so kind these past three years.
“I learned something everyday, and I think that’s really the way it should be,” Tanksley said.