Former Technology Investigator Carmen Bray has been promoted to the position of Interim Director of the University Police Department (UPD), an office he hopes to utilize in order to bring positive changes to the UPD.  
Bray was officially promoted on July 25 by President John L. Crain and Vice President of Student Affairs Marvin Yates and hopes to better the department through improvements in day-to-day efficiency, more individual opportunities for the officers and further student awareness of the services provided.
“With all the budget cuts with the university, as a police department as a whole, we’re trying to work smarter,” said Bray. “We’re trying to get technology more involved so that we can cut down on costs.”
Bray has worked for Southeastern in the police department for a total of seven years in three different positions. He started as a road officer and eventually as a road sergeant and finally served as a Technology Investigator for several years.
“Being a Technology Investigator was fun,” said Bray. “I loved the technology side of it, being able to do surveillance and cameras. The different technologies that you could work with and finding different ways to investigate different cases really kept your attention span.”
Public safety has always been the focus of Bray’s professional life, which began when he was 16 years old working part time on an ambulance. Afterwards, Bray underwent training for many aspects of public security and service.
“There’s a long, long list of training,” said Bray. “There’s a list ranging from simple security all the way to executive security and executive protection, fire, security and police.”
With the authority of his new position, Bray explained that he wants to show the students the more positive aspects of the police department.
“One of the challenges of the police department is educating a lot of the students of a lot of what we do, how things run here and what is expected of the police department other than the common laws that everyone has to deal with every day,” said Bray.  “We try to make our people a little more visible so that you’re not always dealing with them in the negative sense. As soon as we walk down the street, we don’t want everyone to part the seas or go the other way just because the police are around.”In addressing the beginning of the new school year, Bray explained that he would like to see more positive student involvement with the UPD.
“I’m excited for the new year and to see what opportunities it can bring. I think now that times are difficult, it gives all the students a great opportunity to find different ways to do things more efficiently. And their ideas can be used even at our level,” said Bray. “We encourage the students to suggest new ideas. If there’s something they feel could be done better, don’t be afraid to say something.”
For more information about the police department and the services they provide, visit selu.edu/admin/police.