The ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Public Safety team welcomed two new officers at a swearing-in ceremony attended by family, friends and colleagues.
βItβs always been my belief that policing is the most noble profession,β says ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Police Chief Carl Metzger β03MS. βIβm proud of the work we do at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ to keep our campus safe. We hold a very high standard of excellence, and I believe that we do it better than any campus police department in the United States.β
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ President Alexander N. Cartwright and First Lady Melinda were also present at the ceremony, where the president shared remarks, expressing his gratitude to the public safety team and offering well wishes to the new and newly promoted officers.
βEach of you really do represent the very best of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½,” President Cartwright says. βOn behalf of all of us at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½, welcome to this next chapter of your careers, whether beginning or further along. We are so proud to call all of you Knights and we look forward to all you achieve.β
The new officers will be assigned to the patrol division upon completion of their field-training program, where they will spend several weeks paired with senior officers to receive hands-on experience out in the field before graduating to solo patrol.
Meet the Officers
- Donavan Jackson joined the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Police Department (ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½PD) in September 2023, sponsored by the agency to attend the law enforcement academy at Valencia College. Despite a delay in admission due to a serious health scare, he made a full recovery and graduated from Academy Class 24-04. Jackson holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a ³Ύ²Ή²υ³Ω±π°ωβs in higher education leadership from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. His connection to ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ runs deep, having previously worked in the Department of Housing and Residence Life. In his free time, Jackson enjoys writing and recording music, which has garnered more than 400,000 streams and received award nominations.
- Originally from Miami, Kamila “Kami” Otero ’24 has been a part of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½’s Public Safety family since August 2023 when she became a ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½PD intern. After completing her internship, she continued as a cadet while earning her criminal justice degree at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½. After graduating, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½PD sponsored her to attend the law enforcement academy at Valencia College, where she graduated as the top academic student with an almost perfect score. Fun fact: Otero loves the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and even has four pet turtles named after them.
In addition to welcoming the latest public safety team members, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½PD also celebrated three individuals who were recently promoted.
- Commander Matthew Scott β07 β11MS was promoted from Sergeant in November. With more than 17 years in law enforcement, he began his career as a ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½PD community service officer before the agency sponsored him to attend the academy. After graduating, he joined the department as a sworn patrol officer and quickly rose through the ranks to detective, supervisor and presidential liaison. Scott spent several years as an award-winning K-9 handler and made history as ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½PDβs first therapy dog handler while serving in the Criminal Investigations Division. Most recently, he led the Community Partnerships Unit, where heβs credited with revolutionizing the departmentβs programming and community outreach while also serving as the presidential security escort. A proud two-time ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ alumnus, Scott holds bachelorβs and degrees in criminal justice. He’s also a graduate of the Valencia College Criminal Justice Institute Leadership Academy.
- Sergeant Alexander DeLuca ’15 was promoted from Corporal in November. He started his journey as a ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½PD community service officer before becoming a sworn officer for the agency in 2016. Throughout his career, heβs served as a detective, a dedicated member of the Honor Guard, and a key part of the Emergency and Heavy Response teams. An avid biker, DeLuca has participated in several Police Unity Tours and is a police mountain bike instructor and certified bike mechanic. A ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ alumnus, he earned his bachelorβs degree in criminal justice and is currently pursuing a dual ³Ύ²Ή²υ³Ω±π°ωβs degree in public administration and criminal justice β all while continuing to patrol his alma mater on the night shift Delta squad.
- Corporal Al Sammelian was promoted from Officer First Class in November. He made a bold career shift from the automotive industry to law enforcement, joining ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½PD in 2018. He hit the ground running, starting as a patrol officer and quickly advancing to a K-9 handler, working alongside his loyal four-legged partner, Zeus. Most recently, the duo has been an integral part of the Community Partnerships Unit, where Sammelian has led agency programming, outreach events and recruitment efforts. In his new role, he has returned to night shift patrol on the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ main campus, serving as Sergeant DeLucaβs corporal on the Delta squad.
A live stream of the swearing-in ceremony can be viewed .
