Before we all departed on spring break seawolves met for the 12th session of the lecture series titled, “Black and Brown in Blue.” On Wednesday, March 15, Officer Jillian Van Riper sat down with Sonoma State Police Chief Nader Oweis to tell her life story and discuss the struggles that come with being a woman in the police force.  

The conversation began with Van Riper explaining how she got into law enforcement because her father suggested it to her at a young age. Although she was apprehensive about it at first, Van Riper embraced her decision. She would later enroll in the Petaluma Police Department as a trainee while attending SSU and eventually joined the police force after she graduated.  

Fatima Contreras, a student ambassador who works with the University Police Department (UPD), was in attendance for the lecture. The fellow Seawolf views the on campus police station as her second home and felt that the lectures were a safe space for her to learn about law enforcement. Contreras aspires to be an officer in the future and came to the event excited to see and hear the experiences of a female officer. She felt that through these conversations, she was able to learn about policing and get to know more officers to make connections with.

Contreras said, “I think I can personally relate to how she was talking about the difficulties of being a woman in law enforcement, having these conversations will open up more conversations with other women too.” 

The STAR was able to catch up with Officer Van Riper and ask about how to promote programs like Explorer Programs, which allow for young people to get their foot in the door when it comes to law enforcement. She talked about the importance of police forces continuing to do ‘back to school days’ where they go to schools and advertise the career of enforcing the law. She thought that what they do by going to elementary, middle and high schools and showing students their cars and equipment was a great way to excite the youth about policing. The STAR also talked with Officer Van Riper about the hesitancy of attending these events and she acknowledged that although these are uncomfortable conversations they are essential. She also explained how she likes to be put on the spot with difficult questions that make her ‘thinking gears’ turn on.  

The lectures host, Chief Nader Oweis, also sees the great importance of community engagement. He explained that the importance of these events revolved around building trust between those in blue and the community that they serve. He understands that some people might feel uncomfortable interacting with the police but feels these lectures offer a safe space for students to ask questions and get comfortable with the UPD. When talking about the importance of asking questions, Chief Oweis also stated, “I think we’re going to get to the realities a lot faster and then we will break down some of those barriers.” These conversations can serve as an opportunity to build a safe connected community.