AAMC Reporter: June 2009
To Protect and Serve
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Allen Rawitch, Ph.D., was promoted to detective
five years ago.
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Most of the time, Allen B. Rawitch, Ph.D., is just your average
vice chancellor for academic affairs. But for about 10 hours a week,
he leads a slightly different life.
For the past three decades, Rawitch has served as a part-time officer
with the Overland Park, Kan., police department.
"The best parts of the job," he explains, "are helping people who
are victims of a crime or who have been injured and, when someone
really deserves it, putting them behind bars."
Rawitch, who is trained to handle three different kinds of firearms,
first felt drawn to law enforcement in 1971 when he was on the faculty
at Kent State University—less than a year after the infamous shootings
that killed four students. Rawitch was tapped to serve on a campus
committee aimed at improving relations between students and campus
police—a position that carried "a lot of tension," Rawitch said.
Although the work was difficult, the committee sparked his interest.
One thing led to another, and several years later, after moving
to the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Rawitch decided
to take the plunge. But before entering the police academy, he had
one major obstacle to clear.
"I told my wife I wouldn't get involved in that kind of thing anymore,"
Rawitch said, "but she told me 'you said you were going to be around
the house more, and you have been—a lot. So maybe it's time for
you to try other activities.' I bet she regrets saying that now."
Rawitch works one six-hour shift each week, plus two or three hours
of follow-up work on his own time. After 26 years on street patrol,
he was promoted to detective five years ago. He says he mainly handles
"property crimes" such as burglaries, but has worked on cases ranging
from identity theft to homicide. Fellow policemen have said his
Ph.D. often comes in handy.
"It's been pointed out that my analytical skills are helpful, both
in terms of my scientific expertise and my approach to problem solving,"
Rawitch said.
Although the day-to-day law enforcement business may not contain
as much stardust as the Hollywood version, there are still moments
of genuine excitement.
"The TV shows tend to depict a non-reality," Rawitch says. "But
sometimes things unfold quickly, and you have to make decisions
in a split second."
—By Scott Harris
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