William Wallace becomes youngest member of GTCC police force and carries on a family tradition

At GTCC we are focused on helping our students, faculty, staff, and greater Guilford community and that is why I am proud to be a GTCC police officer.”

William Wallace continued a family tradition and made Guilford Technical Community College history recently when he was sworn in as a member of the GTCC Campus Police Department.

Wallace’s grandfather was a public safety officer, and so is his cousin. Becoming a law enforcement officer has been a career goal for as long as he can remember. That mission was accomplished on Aug. 29 when he officially joined the GTCC force after completing the college’s Basic Law Enforcement Training program.

With the swearing-in ceremony, Wallace became the youngest person to join the force.

“My goal in life has always been to be a police officer, ever since I watched my grandpa who worked at Charlotte Motor Speedway as a public safety officer,” said Wallace.

Wallace, who was a member of the Air Force Junior ROTC at Wheatmore High School in Trinity, N.C., enrolled in GTCC’s 680-hour BLET program last April and graduated in August.

The GTCC Campus Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency with 32 employees dedicated to maintaining a secure learning environment across all five of its Guilford County campuses.

“Campus Police strives to mirror the community we serve. Hiring Officer Wallace allows for Campus Police to take a step toward filling a generational gap between the police department and a segment of the college we serve,” said Gene Sapino, chief of GTCC’s police department.

From the first day of classes, Wallace said he was impressed by the depth and breadth of GTCC’s BLET program.

“Some things didn’t come as a surprise, but then there were things I never knew that police did. I learned a lot,” Wallace said of his training. “The hands-on work, the scenario-based training, the rapid deployment … there were so many different situations we trained for.”

Wallace is stationed at GTCC’s Jamestown campus but floats between all campuses. His day is spent patrolling campus, offering assistance where needed, assistance that can range from giving directions to assisting in medical and law enforcement calls for service on and around campus

“I learn something new every day I’m on the job,” said Wallace.

While he is the youngest officer ever on the GTCC police force, Wallace has found his youth can be an advantage.

“I’ve found out students will approach me and talk to me more often because I am their age,” said Wallace. “With me being a new officer, we have a lot of experienced officers on the force that want to share their knowledge and to help me be the best I can be."

Wallace also believes working on a college campus offers rewards he would miss working with a county or city force.

“You get to know your community quickly, and you get to see the greater impact working on a college campus,” said Wallace. “At GTCC, we are focused on helping our students, faculty, staff, and greater Guilford community and that is why I am proud to be a GTCC police officer.”