Upon graduation, Lawrentians take their first tentative steps into the “real world.” Josh “Blue” Mosley ‘16, a recent addition to the Campus Safety team, has decided not to wander very far. With aspirations for a career in law enforcement, Mosley hopes to gain valuable experience right here at Lawrence.
Like many Campus Safety officers, Mosley is passionate about helping others. While enrolled as a student, Mosley studied psychology and was a proud member of the Lawrence football team. He remembers being an eager and frequent confidant to his fellow students and sees his new role with Campus Safety as an opportunity to continue helping Lawrence students in other ways.
Mosley says, “Even when I was a student people always came to me for help, and I was always grateful that they saw me in that role […] It feels really great that I’m now officially someone they can confide in.”
When expressing his desire to become a police officer, Mosley received widespread support from campus administrators and safety officers. “I’ve always had a good relationship with President Burstein and he knew my plan was to go into law enforcement so he thought, what if I go into Campus Safety to get a little experience and practice.”
With their support and recommendations, Mosley was hired after finishing his degree this past Fall Term. “Having their help and getting this experience is more than I could have asked for and I’m very grateful for it,” says Mosley.
While Lawrence does not provide the typical education of most police officers and does not offer a criminal justice program, Mosley believes his education makes him a great candidate for this line of work. “I have a different perspective than what people would expect of a cop. I’ll have a different mindset and will be more understanding than most cops,” he commented.
In a time when law enforcement faces criticism of brutality and discriminatory practices, Mosley’s liberal arts education and background in psychology may give him a desirable edge in the field.
He says, “I can read people. I think being a psych major helps me out with that. They’re also starting to look for officers who went to good colleges, who want to make a difference, who won’t be in the news for controversy.”
In addition, Mosley’s position as a Campus Safety officer gives him the opportunity to experience a community-focused approach to security that he thinks law enforcement would be wise to mirror. “I’m not going to be in your face looking for a power trip, I’ll want to see what I can do to help you out.”
In his early days as a Campus Safety officer, Mosley is happy to be a familiar face on campus. The best part of the job so far, he says, is “seeing the joy and surprise when people see me coming by in a security vehicle. It’s always like, ‘Blue, oh my God! You work here?’”
Mosley is just happy to be continuing his legacy as the helpful guy on campus. He notes, “I came back for all of you guys, there’s just something about this school and the students that I like, and being able to help you guys out, that just makes it worthwhile.”
