The St. Edward’s University Police Department held a badge pinning ceremony to celebrate two employee promotions, two new peace officers and a new dispatcher, displaying the newest additions and recognitions to the force.

The Office of Campus Safety held the ceremony Sept. 22. It was early during the semester so that more of the St. Edward’s community would be available to attend.

Officers’ families attended and participated in the ceremony as Father Peter Walsh, director of Campus Ministry, blessed the pins. During the ceremony, Lisa Kirkpatrick, vice president for Student Affairs, said “[campus policing] can be a rather thankless job, responding to calls of service all hours of the day and night.”

Some officers worked outside of St. Edward’s for some time and have now returned. One of the officers, Homer Huerta, left St. Edward’s twice to work for the Border Patrol and the state of Texas.

“I just noticed I didn’t have any more family time… so I felt I was in the right place to begin with,” Huerta said.

Huerta has been back at St. Edward’s for 16 years.

“I’ve ran the gamut of calls and every time it’s satisfying just to serve the community and help them get through in their time of need,” he said. “Everyday, it just makes you feel better coming into work because you have the opportunity of a lifetime.”

The ceremony also served as an opportunity to welcome Mike Bradburn back to the UPD force. Bradburn is lead of investigations and, as a retired deputy sheriff, has 30 years of experience.

“I think when you’re working in an environment like a campus… there are a lot more elements involved, so you have to make sure you collaborate with all the different parties,” Bradburn said.

Scott Blank, the assistant vice president of Campus Safety, was introduced in June and oversees the police department.

“So many times when people have to call on police assistance, it’s because an emergency happened, so it’s a great time to celebrate together and honor the pledge that the officers make in safeguarding this community and just really recognizing the importance of what they do,” Blank said.