Kevin Richardson: Building Trust and Helping All Students

Kevin Richardson, a detective sergeant with the Babson Public Safety Department, is known as a police officer who “goes the extra mile” in his interactions with students, faculty, and staff. Part of it is just his nature, and part of it is an expectation from new Babson Police Chief Erin Carcia to continue shaping the department as a place that any member of the community could turn to for help, a reflection of larger shifts happening in policing across the country.

Richardson, 34, graduated from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire,  in 2009 and began his career as a police officer at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. He started at Babson in 2011 as a police officer before being promoted to detective in 2014 and to detective sergeant in 2019.

The Q&A

Babson is a diverse place. How do you make sure every student on campus feels safe and respected?

“I always try to find a common theme and really try to get to know who they are. I think that’s what builds trust. Building those relationships gives them at least one person they’re comfortable talking to. Not all colleges have that relationship with their community, but Babson has a mission of diversity, equity, and inclusion. (Public Safety is) on board with this, we understand this, and we’re doing this on a daily basis.”

You recently received praise from a recent Babson graduate for helping him navigate a complex legal matter. He has written commending you for your service, and you two are still in touch. Without going into detail, why do you think your help meant so much to him?

“I have enough experience with the court system that I could help guide him through the process, so he had a better idea of what it was going to look like. I thought to myself: If I wasn’t a police officer, if I was just a regular civilian, how nervous would I be going through the court process? I wanted to keep him informed so that he didn’t feel as if he was in the dark during this process. Although it may seem extraordinary to this student, any other officer in my position at Babson would have provided the same level of support and resources.”

How has the Babson Public Safety Department responded to the death of George Floyd and other Black citizens in police custody?

“That put our profession in the spotlight and called for accountability. Initially, everyone’s gut reaction was ‘How is this going to affect us here at Babson?’ But, because we had built those relationships, we were able to have those uncomfortable but needed conversations.

“Ten years ago, our department wasn’t in the position we are now to offer the resources we offer. Now that we are accredited, we have industry standards and procedures we have to follow, and every three or four years we go through a reaccreditation process.

“The lifelong relationships I have been fortunate to create while at Babson are a significant part of my life. Babson is the epitome of the word community and is a community where you are accepted for who you are no matter what.”
Det. Sgt. Kevin Richardson

“Beyond that, we’re really looking for potential candidates for employment who understand what we want to do here. We started to look at the candidates we’re bringing in the door. Do we have a human being across the table from us? Do you have emotions, do you have feelings, do you care?

“I think as a department, we’re in a good place now. Just like any other Babson officer, I would help any student—regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion—that would come to us. For us at Public Safety, it doesn’t matter what you look like, it doesn’t matter where you come from. What matters is you need help, and that is why we are here.”

Posted in Community

Tagged People of Babson, Campus

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