2008 Woodie Awards
From Housekeeper to Police Chief: Cleveland Barnes' 37-Year Career at UMB
An Exclusive Interview with the UMB Police Chief
Clarence Lam and Bhavik Desai
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In 1971, a young man, fresh out of the Marine Corps and working his way through college, joined the housekeeping staff at the
He worked mopping floors in Whitehurst Hall, an old nursing dormitory that once stood where the University of Maryland Medical Center’s emergency room stands today; he cleaned the restrooms in the Bressler Building, not the one typically recognized nowadays on Baltimore Street, but another that currently still exists along Greene Street behind the School of Social Work; but it was one night while cleaning in Howard Hall—then an administrative building that housed the human resources and personnel offices—that he noticed a flyer posted on a bulletin board: “Campus Police Vacancy.”
“Why not?” recalled the young housekeeper. “I have nothing to lose.” He filled out the application and was shortly interviewed by Claude Spencer, then UMB’s director of public safety.
“Man, you’re awfully short,” said Spencer during the initial interview of the 21 year-old man standing only five feet, two inches tall. Yet after carefully reviewing his application and noting his enthusiasm and strong desire to succeed, Spencer added, “But what you lack in stature, you make up in heart.” And with that Cleveland Barnes, fondly nicknamed “Junior” by his colleagues at that time, was hired as a patrol officer for the University Police.
Barnes has worked tirelessly with the University Police since then and along the way earned degrees at
In an interview only four months following his promotion to chief, he noted that much has changed since he first arrived on campus. During his 37-year career with the University Police, criminals have become more difficult to identify as they have adapted and become more adept at their crimes. “The old cliché was ‘a cop could tell the identity of a criminal,’” said Barnes. “Well today, you can’t.”
Barnes emphasized that safety has improved on campus. Last year, there was a 22 percent reduction in crime, continuing a downward trend in annual reported crimes over the last three years. The presence of University Police has created a relative safe haven on campus grounds and thus pushed much of the criminal activity into neighboring areas. “Certain types of crimes…like robbery, theft from auto, burglary…have risen on the periphery of campus,” said Barnes. “Crime on university property is almost non-existent.”
He acknowledged that safety in Ridgely’s Delight remains a concern among many students, but concedes that the neighborhood falls under the jurisdiction of the Baltimore City Police. University Police has reached out to the neighborhood community association in offering them assistance with photograph line-ups, training in identifying suspicious behavior, and in serving as a liaison to the Baltimore City Police. UMB’s Safety Awareness Committee, which Barnes chairs, also has a representative from Ridgely’s Delight.
With the construction and opening of the new BioPark buildings, the University Police presence has extended further into west
Prostitution, robbery, carjackings, and homicides were reported within a half block of
Much student concern has focused on the safety of crosswalks on campus, particularly after a
Recently, a number of improvements have been made to the intersection including the repainting of the crosswalk lines, the installation of a countdown crossing signal, and the placement of a “no turn on red” sign.
Barnes does not advocate for a pedestrian crosswalk or tunnel because both routes can leave users vulnerable to criminals in enclosed spaces. However, he believes that other pedestrian safety measures should be taken at the intersection. “It’s my opinion that it should be a four-way stop [in the timing of the traffic lights to allow pedestrians to cross],” said Barnes.
He admitted concern that the eventual construction of the
At other highly traversed crosswalks around campus, Barnes has directed his department to place signs in the center of city streets reminding drivers to yield to pedestrians. “We repeatedly put pedestrian crosswalk signs on the road at our own expense, though city officials would come and remove them,” said Barnes, “until finally…they relented.”
He encourages students who are concerned about pedestrian safety to contact university administrators, student government, and the city’s traffic and transportation division to continue advocating for crosswalk improvements.
With the expansion of the campus, the University Police force has grown and additional facilities are planned to better accommodate the department. Many police officers and staff are scattered throughout buildings across the campus. In the short term, a new full-service, police substation opened on January 28 at
Looking back on his police career, his greatest accomplishment has been leading the department in attaining national law enforcement accreditation. According to Barnes, accreditation “brings you professionalism…that [the University Police has] met a higher standard than other law enforcement agencies.” University Police achieved accreditation in 1996 after a rigorous outside assessment, achieving standards that have challenged many local law enforcement agencies.
While Barnes believes he was prepared for the challenges of being police chief, he was nonetheless surprised by the magnitude of the concerns and tasks that required his attention.
“It’s lonely at the top because you don’t close the door…and say the workday has ended, because it doesn’t end,” said Barnes. “The phone rings, the Blackberry goes off…the one thing I wasn’t prepared for is the 25-hour day, 8-day week.”
He credits his officers and staff, with whom he has built a strong rapport. “They feel that I have a better understanding of what their needs…are because in fact I have come from the street to the office,” said Barnes. “I’ve heard that people have described me as…the police officer’s chief.”
When asked if he had any second thoughts, Barnes said, “If I had to do it all over again, I think I would do it the same way.”