While a student at Johnson County Community College (JCCC), Aaron Swift wanted to become a Johnson County Police Officer after he met Gregory Russell, JCCC’s former Police Chief. Russell inspired him to consider a career in law enforcement at JCCC, and in 2021, Swift completed officer training at the Johnson County Regional Police Academy, located on JCCC’s main campus in Overland Park.
Today, Swift is a member of this unique police department—one that serves the college but operates with the full authority of a county-recognized law enforcement agency.
Every JCCC campus police officer is state-certified and equipped to handle everything from theft investigations to an active shooter. They carry the same badges, undergo the same academy training, and have the same authority as any police officer in Johnson County but their beat is a college campus, where every call is a chance to build trust with students, not just enforce the law.
In addition to sworn law enforcement officers, JCCC Police have a detective, a crime prevention officer, an emergency management director, and several civilian employees. Services are available 24 hours a day, year-round. JCCC police officers regularly patrol the campus streets, parking lots, buildings, and grounds of all of JCCC’s campus sites to keep people safe.
Police Department focused on relationships
The JCCC Police Department is trained to respond to emergencies, but also to understand the unique pressures of college life and to meet those challenges with empathy and professionalism.
Since the JCCC Police Department primarily serves a younger population, they prioritize a community policing model. The campus police department is more focused on community engagement, providing resources for safety and health, and crime prevention than pursuing criminal charges.
“There’s a sense of pride in being our own independent law enforcement agency,” said Swift. “It allows us to prioritize JCCC’s mission and values as we interact with students, staff, and visitors here.”
Day in the life
In a typical day on the job, Officer Swift prefers to walk campus as he responds to calls that come in. Walking, instead of driving the patrol car, allows Swift to talk to students, faculty, and staff. It’s part of what makes his job different from that of a “typical” police officer, and what makes his job at JCCC meaningful.
“In my experience, we are provided a lot more opportunities to engage with our community,” said Swift. “The average city police officer usually interacts with far too large a population to do that. For us at JCCC, we get to know the students, faculty, and staff we serve.”
Unlike most police officers, another aspect of Officer Swift’s job is that he serves as co-advisor for JCCC’s Model United Nations team. He helps coach the students, along with their faculty co-advisor, and this past spring was able to travel with the student team to compete in the 2025 National United Nations Conference in New York City. “Having the opportunity to be more involved in the community I work for is one of the best benefits of serving as a JCCC Police Officer,” says Swift.
Evolving with student needs
When asked if he has seen campus culture and student needs evolve over the years, Swift said their department has seen an increase in mental health-related calls since he started. Now, all officers are trained in crisis intervention to better respond to student needs. Another rewarding aspect of Swift’s job is the ability to connect students with resources on JCCC’s campus, especially counseling services.
“Since a lot of the calls we respond to are mental health-related, it is very rewarding to connect our students with a professional who can help them,” said Swift. “It is special to see a student you helped in crisis back in class the next week, or crossing the stage at graduation.”
Learn More
JCCC is currently hiring for several positions in the Police Department. To learn more about a rewarding career in law enforcement at JCCC, visit jccc.edu/careers. To learn more about JCCC campus safety and police services, visit jccc.edu/police.
