Western names Deloise Anderson police chief

By Rose Hooper

An 18-year veteran of the WCU's Police Department, Anderson assumed her new duties March 1.

As a former WCU student, Anderson said she identifies with the students on campus.

"I like to be fair with them and give them the benefit of the doubt on their first offense because I know I could have been in their same situation," said this 1981 graduate. "They are here to learn, and I am part of that learning process. I tell them, 'I'm not here to be hard on you, I'm here to teach you.'"

Working at the Parkway Restaurant right after high school prompted her career choice, she said.

"I had a lot of contact with officers who came in there to eat, and that's what got me interested in law enforcement," said Anderson, daughter of Lois Hooper of Sylva and the late Charles Hooper.

Anderson earned an associate degree in criminal justice in 1976 from Southwestern Community College before graduating from Western with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.

While a student at Western she attended classes from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m, worked at the Jackson County Sheriff's Office from 3-11 p.m. and was on call from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

She served as a deputy, jailer and telecommunication specialist with the county from 1977 to 1984 before joining the force at Western.

"In the years I've been at Western, I've seen our department grow ­ as far as equipment, training and education of our officers," said Anderson, who holds an advanced law enforcement certification awarded by the N.C. Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission. "We have a well-educated group of officers ­ four have college degrees, two have associate degrees and a couple of them are working on their degrees now."

Anderson has completed more than 1,000 hours of professional training in courses such as criminal law, search and seizure, campus law enforcement, evidence handling, accident investigation, criminal investigation, rape investigation, hate crime reporting, community policing, police management, investigation of violent crimes, first line supervision, domestic violence, stalking investigations, interviewing and interrogation, and sex crimes investigation.

"Deloise Anderson has been a dedicated employee for the university for 18 years," said Gene McAbee, director of University Police and Traffic Services. "She always has been a stabilizing force in the department. She is well respected among her peers in the police department and throughout the campus community. I am pleased that her longtime efforts could be rewarded through this promotion."

"We are like family here because when you work 12-hour shifts, you spend a lot of time together," said Anderson, who lives in Ashe Settlement community with her husband of eight years, Johnny, and their dog, Sweetie.

"At homecoming, students from years past will come up to me and say, 'Oh, my goodness; you are still here. In a way that makes me feel like an antique, but it also makes me proud that they remember me," she said. "And then I feel really proud when they tell me they remember how fair I was."