OCPD finds value in Bloomsburg's criminal justice program
Bloomsburg
Posted
Only five full-time officers were hired to the Ocean City Police Department in Maryland in 2018. Three of those five officers were Bloomsburg University graduates.
Nikki Stanziale spent two summers as a seasonal officer at OCPD. Megan McHugh also spent one summer as a seasonal officer, and they believe that's one of the main reasons they were chosen to become full-time officers.
“Ocean City usually only hires people who have worked as seasonal officers first,” said McHugh. “So that definitely helped in getting the job.”
During her junior year, Stanziale said the OCPD recruiting team spoke to her police and society class, which led to her hire as a seasonal officer. She wasn’t sure at that point whether she wanted to be on the educational side of law, or become an officer. Stanziale’s classes at Bloomsburg sparked her interest, and her time as a seasonal officer solidified her decision.
“When I returned to Ocean City the summer after graduation, I knew I didn’t want to leave,” Stanziale said.
Both McHugh and Stanziale credit Professor Kelly Roth with their love and understanding of police work.
“I took every class I could with Dr. Roth,” said McHugh. “Since she is a police officer, I often talked with her about the job and went to her for guidance.”
She also added that some of the material that the police academy is teaching are topics that have already been covered in Bloomsburg University’s criminal justice classes.
Huskies are ahead of their peers, even after graduation.
