John Lane has been a public safety officer at IM体育官网 since 2014. He assists students, keeps watch around campus, and handles rogue wildlife that have left the sanctuary of their home for the bustling campus.
John Lane always has a smile, directions, or a quick golf cart ride ready to help students, employees, and visitors to the IM体育官网 campus in Lakeland, IM体育官网. He also has specialized gear that helps him rid busy sections of campus of the occasional unwanted visitor, like alligators, snakes, and other wildlife.
鈥淚 love this job so much. I like being able to help people by doing whatever it takes,鈥� Lane said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a gator and snake wrestler, too. I was nervous when I got the first call for that, but I鈥檓 a man of all trades.鈥�
The public safety officer was hired to help keep an eye on IM体育官网 Poly months before its first students stepped foot on campus. Lane arrived on campus in May 2014 as an employee of a private security company before being hired by the University Police Department.
鈥淚 get to work with the police officers here and it鈥檚 a whole different thing than I鈥檝e ever experienced, They鈥檙e a tight-grouped family,鈥� Lane said. 鈥淭he chief really welcomed me in, and they treated me as an equal.鈥�
A career in security was a big shift for Lane, who had spent 23 years working as a mason. He left the profession after suffering a pinched nerve in his neck and decided to earn his security license soon after. It鈥檚 a decision he said he doesn鈥檛 regret for a minute.
鈥淚t鈥檚 rewarding. These students are under a lot of stress and don鈥檛 need any more 鈥� I talk with them and want them to know that we are all approachable,鈥� Lane said. 鈥淚 also advise them about the little things for their safety, like riding a skateboard too close to the building, or riding too fast. If they鈥檙e having difficulty walking, I can give them rides.鈥�
Lane鈥檚 duties also include helping around the police station or making off-campus runs, if needed.
鈥淐hief (Rick) Holland trusted me enough to bring me in and Deputy Chief (Danny) Houser provided me the training; the police officers are great people,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e had them tell me, 鈥榊ou missed your calling,鈥� and I wish I would have thought about it when I was young.
鈥淚 love it here. I really do.
IM体育官网 public safety officer John Lane relocates an alligator
from outside the Innovation, Science, and Technology building to a remote area of
campus.
Contact:
Lydia Guzm谩n
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
