For more than three decades, Ross Wolf ’88 ’91MPA ’98EdD has lived a double life. By day, he shapes the minds of criminal justice students and serves as a faculty administrator at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. By night and on weekends, he has patrolled Orange County as a sworn deputy sheriff entirely as a volunteer, dedicating about 500 hours per year to the agency.

In March, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) will present him with both the Reserve Deputy of the Year award for 2025 and a Distinguished Service Medal as he retires from the agency after 34 years of service. As reserve chief deputy, Wolf modernized the unit by rewriting OCSO’s reserve policy and establishing international exchange programs with agencies in London and Singapore.

As Wolf approaches this milestone he remains focused on sharing his wealth of knowledge and expertise and his industry connections as interim dean of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ College of Community Innovation and Education, professor of criminal justice and associate provost of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Downtown.

Taking the Risk

Wolf’s unconventional path began in 1991 when he started as an auxiliary deputy with OCSO. In 1995, he made a bold decision: he took a 50% pay cut to leave his “day jobâ€� and become a full-time deputy sheriff. For five years, he served as a patrol officer, field training officer and detective.

In 1999, he made another pivot — joining Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ as a full-time faculty member while remaining a reserve deputy. For the next 25 years, Wolf would maintain both roles simultaneously, eventually rising to reserve chief deputy, the highest-ranking volunteer position in the agency, overseeing more than 70 sworn personnel, while also becoming a tenured professor, department chair, associate dean and associate provost for Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Downtown.

“Staying current with law enforcement practices made me an effective deputy and allowed me to share accurate, real-world information with students.” — Ross Wolf

“These commitments required significant time, but staying current with law enforcement practices made me an effective deputy and allowed me to share accurate, real-world information with students,” Wolf says.

It also allowed him to identify and address the gap in research on volunteer policing, which has existed longer than professional police departments. For decades, Wolf built a network of international scholars to develop comparative research. He’s also helped develop a framework that is part of an International Association of Chiefs of Police model policy now used by many agencies nationwide.

Training the Next Generation

While leading the reserve unit and conducting groundbreaking research into volunteer policing programs across the United States and internationally, Wolf applied his dual expertise to classroom lectures and created programs that continue to provide students with real-world law enforcement experience.

In 1996, he launched the Law Enforcement Officer Training Corps (LEOTC). Through this initiative, 10 to 15 students each year completed two-semester internships at the OCSO, rotating through specialized units before spending a full semester in their area of greatest interest.

He organized study abroad programs in the United Kingdom that brought 54 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ students over three years to examine international policing models in a reciprocal exchange. In 2016, 18 British students came to Orlando to ride along with Orange County reserve deputies. Their shifts were underway when the Pulse nightclub shooting occurred. For Zoe Williamson ’21MPA, witnessing officers’ courage and dedication during the tragedy inspired her to complete her master’s degree at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and pursue a career in law enforcement.

Wolf’s programs created a pipeline of well-trained officers for agencies across Central Florida, with multiple LEOTC graduates joining the OCSO.

“While everyone knew him as ‘Dr. Wolf,’ I always called him ‘Chief,’� says Stephen Fickey ’11, a criminal justice grad who is now a training deputy with the OCSO. “Having the leader of my reserve unit also be my professor was a unique experience I felt privileged to have.�

Fickey recalled Wolf joking with him about uniform inspections during final exam week.

“Moments like that showed me the most valuable quality in a leader is remembering where you came from,� Fickey says.

Earning Recognition in Service and Scholarship

Wolf’s dual contributions have been recognized with national honors, including the American Police Hall of Fame’s J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Gold Medal, the National Sheriffs’ Association Medal of Merit, and a Presidential Daily Point of Light Award, along with multiple Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ teaching and service awards.

“As reserve chief deputy, [Ross Wolf has] built our unit into one of the best in the nation and agencies from around the world now look to us as a model,â€� says Orange County Sheriff John Mina. “Ross has provided thousands of volunteer hours, but his impact goes even further,â€� Mina continues. “Through his work at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, he’s trained hundreds of students who’ve gone on to serve in law enforcement, including here at OCSO. He’s represented our agency with professionalism and integrity at every turn, and we’re grateful for his service to the residents and visitors of Orange County.”

As Wolf focuses on academic leadership at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, he leaves a lasting legacy out in the field — one that has shaped national standards, hundreds of mentored officers serving across the profession, and proof that bridging practice and scholarship creates lasting impact.

What do all these and about 1,000 other Central Florida men and women law enforcement officers have in common? They are all Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Knights.

Rich Daniels, for example, graduated from the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He spent some time with the Altamonte Police Department and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Police before dedicating 27 years to the Drug Enforcement Administration. In 2013, Daniels accepted the position of deputy director of the Central Florida HIDTA.

Others are more recent grads, such as Lake Mary Police Chief Steve Bracknell, who earned a master’s degree in criminal justice in 2004.

“My experience at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ was outstanding,â€� Bracknell said. “Not only did Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ prepare me for the challenges as an agency administrator, it provided me with invaluable resources within Central Florida. I am very, very proud to announce to all that I am a Knight.â€�

While some have pursued leadership positions, others, such as Orlando Police detective Jennifer Williamson, have stayed close to the grittier parts of police work that Hollywood tends to glamorize. She is part of Orlando’s fugitive investigative unit, the U.S. Marshall’s Office and OPD’s crisis-negotiation team. She graduated from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 2002 and has spent 16 years in Central Florida keeping her community safe.

“Almost all of the people we are tasked with apprehending are alleged to have committed violent crimes,� Williamson said. “We search for and apprehend those who commit murder, robbery and sex crimes. This assignment has been the most challenging, but also the most rewarding. I am happy to bring some type of closure to families who are victimized by the evil of society.�

Sixteen officers in the Winter Park Police Department are Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ alumni, said Ross Wolf, an associate professor of Criminal Justice at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ who was an Orange County deputy. Today he continues to teach courses in criminal justice, conducts research for places such as the National Institute of Justice, and serves as the College of Health and Public Affairs associate dean for academic affairs and technology.  He is also a reserve officer with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

More than 11,000 students have earned a bachelor or  master’s degree in criminal justice at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Police Chief Richard Beary is among those with a master’s degree. About 1,500 others are pursuing a degree today, and starting in the fall 2015 doctoral degree will be available.

“We have an outstanding, nationally recognized program here that provides conceptual and hands-on instruction that challenges thinking,� Wolf said. “One of the highlights of my teaching career has been to develop a study-abroad program to the United Kingdom where students visit the criminology and police science programs at the University of Gloucestershire and the University of Chester, and work with police from New Scotland Yard, Gloucestershire, Cheshire, and the British Transport Police.  Programs like this allow our students and our faculty to be well-connected and approach problems from a new perspective.�

Graduates agree.

“I think that my graduate school education really challenged me to think critically,â€� Williamson said. “Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ taught me to be open-minded and to really apply research to reality. I have a T-shirt that says, “Think as if there is no box.â€� I believe that saying appropriately describes what the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ masters program allows its students to do.â€�

For Daniels, whose dad was an FBI agent and whose son works for the U.S. Secret Service, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is a special place. He, too, has worked in other countries during his years with the DEA.

“I am grateful to the university for the quality of education I received, therefore enabling me to pursue a successful law enforcement career both on the domestic and international level.� he said.

And like the residents they serve, many alumni also take part in routine activities in the communities that they serve and love. You might see Bracknell walking his miniature schnauzer on one of Lake Mary’s streets. Or you might catch sight of Sanford Police Patrol Captain Anthony Raimondo catching a wave at a local beach.

Earlier this month, Wolf traveled to Hong Kong and Singapore to conduct research on volunteer policing and share his knowledge of volunteer law enforcement in the United States.

In Hong Kong, he met with members of the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force — a part-time force that supplements the uniformed foot patrol of the Hong Kong Police. He also toured areas they patrol, such as the Lan Kwai Fong district. “The district is a tourist and nightlife area,” Wolf noted. “I learned how the two policing groups work together to handle large crowds.”

In Singapore, Wolf learned that every male at age 18 must serve two years in the military, police or “civil defence� (fire department) as part of “National Service,� and that the city-state has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

He worked with members of the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Volunteer Special Constabulary. “The latter supplements all aspects of Singapore policing, including criminal investigations, traffic policing, road patrol and neighborhood policing,” Wolf said. “They also serve in the Singapore Police Coast Guard, which is one of the largest branches of the Singapore Police Force.”

Wolf also met with private security leaders from Resort World, an entertainment area that is home to Universal Studios Singapore. He learned about the leaders’ relationship with local police and police volunteers and about tourism-oriented policing.

Most Americans are familiar with volunteer firefighters, but few know about volunteer police officers, said Wolf, an associate professor of criminal justice and associate dean for academic affairs and technology for the College of Health and Public Affairs.

Many American jurisdictions use reserve and auxiliary police to perform police duties, most often as volunteers, he explained. 

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½Â students have been a beneficiary of Wolf’s partnerships with international volunteer policing programs. In 2011, members of the Singapore Volunteer Special Constabulary visited Orlando and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½Â to learn about U.S. volunteer policing and speak with criminal justice students about their own activities. And Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ students have studied volunteer policing in England during two study abroad programs sponsored by Wolf.

The 18 participants met with police leaders, observed police demonstrations and visited justice facilities during the two-week program, held primarily in Gloucestershire and Cheshire counties and in London.

The experiences enabled them to compare policing in the U.K. with policing in the United States, said program leader Ross Wolf, an associate dean in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s College of Health and Public Affairs and criminal justice faculty member.

In Gloucestershire and Cheshire, the students visited each county’s constabulary, or police department, where they observed demonstrations by police K9 teams and special response teams and learned about the U.K.’s latest approaches to crime.

Britain recently began electing a ‘Police and Crime Commissioner’ to oversee policing in a defined police area, and the students had an opportunity to meet and talk with PCC John Dwyer of Cheshire, Wolf said.

The students also participated in a course on community policing at the University of Gloucestershire and met with police volunteers at the University of Chester.

In addition, they learned about the U.K.’s approach to justice.

“At the Crown Court in Gloucestershire, the students met with a sitting judge and asked questions about the differences in our judicial systems. Then they observed his courtroom in action. The judge even interrupted the proceedings to explain to the students what was happening,� Wolf said.

In London, the students met with the London Metropolitan Police at New Scotland Yard. They also toured Parliament, the U.K.’s supreme legislative body, and attended a presentation on its history and workings.

“The students found many parts of the trip extremely interesting,� Wolf shared. “I’m certain each and every one came home with a new perspective and hopefully will think about our policing and our criminal justice system in a different light.�

The 7 p.m. debate will be broadcast live on Central Florida News 13 and will be moderated by News 13 anchor Ybeth Bruzual and Ross Wolf, an associate professor and graduate program coordinator with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Department of Criminal Justice.

Many of the questions that the candidates will answer were submitted by students and faculty members in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Department of Criminal Justice.

Tickets required for admission to the debate have been distributed.

Lamar and Ashton will compete in the primary election Aug. 14. Although both candidates are Democrats, the primary will be open to all Orange and Osceola county voters because there are no other candidates in the race.

Central Florida News 13 and the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Department of Criminal Justice are the debate’s sponsors.

a 12 day visit to the United Kingdom this Spring Break.

The goal of the trip was to give students a better understanding of the American justice system, which is founded on the UK model. Accompanied by Criminal Justice Associate Professor Ross Wolf, students visited police departments and museums, sat in on court hearings and toured other landmarks, including the River Thames and New Scotland Yard.

“We examined policing in some of the most rural areas in England, and the busiest metropolitan area, London,� Wolf said.

In addition to exploring the streets with law enforcement officers, students also attended seminars the Universities of Chester and Gloucestershire. Criminal justice students from Gloucestershire will visit the U.S. next year in a similar study abroad program.

While in Gloucestershire, the students spoke with a reporter from the UK’s BBC Radio. During the interview, the students shared stories about their trip, including experiencing the formality of the English court system, where justices wear traditional wigs and robes.

The culture shock didn’t end there, students said.

The group toured a jail, where they learned that in the UK, only one inmate is placed in each cell. They also went on police ride-alongs, where they saw how officers depend on closed-circuit television cameras, a practice that is just beginning to take off in the U.S.

“Many facets of the criminal justice system in the UK were similar to that of the U.S., however we were shocked to learn about some of the differences between the two,� said master’s student Amber Perenzin.

Volunteer community policing is a major aspect of the UK system, and many of the officers patrol unarmed, relying on special de-escalation tactics rather than weapons. Students got a firsthand look at community policing when they met with constabulary from the Metropolitan Police Service.

“I am a reserve deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, so I felt honored to meet fellow law enforcement volunteers that are at such a high rank in one of the busiest cities in the world,â€� said Stephen Fickey, a senior. “I had an amazing time on this trip and would definitely do it all over again if I could.â€�