One of UW's finest to command Washington state police academy

In the 28 years Capt. Randy Stegmeier has worked for the UW Police Department, he has had many opportunities. He has shaken the hands of presidents, met the queen of England, attended the Secret Service Dignitary Protection School and worked security for the 1990 Goodwill Games athlete village.

On Friday, March 23, Stegmeier feels he was given the opportunity of a lifetime.

"I feel this is a real opportunity to contribute to law enforcement in this state," he says.

On April 9, Stegmeier will trade his post at the UWPD for a three-year commitment as commander of the Washington state Basic Law Enforcement Academy in Burien. The academy provides the first 18 weeks of training for all police officers and sheriff's deputies in the state of Washington. The academy covers everything from basic patrol to firearms training, says Stegmeier.

As commander of the academy, Stegmeier will be responsible for the 20-some professionals who provide training, and handle the administration of recruits.

The commander position "is something I have thought about in the past. Previous (UWPD) chiefs have not felt that it was a commitment they could make at the time. The current chief has been very supportive," Stegmeier says.

Late in the afternoon of Friday, March 23, Stegmeier was informed that he had been selected to become the commander of the Washington state Basic Law Enforcement Academy.

        The announcement came after a selection process for the command position Stegmeier says was very grueling. He feels lucky to have been selected, especially since he has never applied before.

Of the resumes and applications from officers in police departments throughout Washington, only five applicants were asked to attend an assessment center for the next step in the selection process.

At the assessment center, Stegmeier competed with officers from the Seattle, Kent and Pierce County law enforcement agencies. They competed in a variety of presentations, skill assessments, oral exams and role playing scenarios.

At the end of the day, the two remaining candidates were called before the academy's director and assistant director for interviews. Stegmeier was asked to address the issue of racial profiling, a matter he says is very important in law enforcement. According to Stegmeier, racial profiling involves the searching and suspicion of individuals because of their race, rather than their behavior.

"Racial profiling is absolutely wrong. It is illegal, and it will not be tolerated," Stegmeier says.

"I am very excited. This is a tremendous opportunity to have a positive influence on the men and women coming into this state," Stegmeier says.

Though excited, Stegmeier will miss, and be missed by, the UWPD.

"This has been home for 28 years. I have seen great strides in improvement in law enforcement in my time here," he says.

Stegmeier began his employment at the UWPD at the end of the Vietnam era amid what he says was a lot of tension. Since Stegmeier's hiring with the UWPD, there have been five homicides. Stegmeier's first felony arrest, he says, was one of these homicides.

He says there have been dark times in his service, often resulting from misunderstandings between the community and the department. However, Stegmeier says times have been good working for the UWPD. Stegmeier says he is not too sure what he will do once his term ends at the academy. He says he might return to his position at the UWPD once his three-year term at the academy is over, and he says he might retire.

Though he says he plans to go quietly in case he returns to the department, his fellow officers will still miss Stegmeier.

In the words of a UWPD staff member, "We are losing one of the finest individuals we have."