New officer hired

September 11, 2006 —

by Brandon Kish

Officer Ashley Christie was hired in June as the department's newest patrol officer. Christie is a recent graduate of SVSU and also ran track and field at the University.

In May, SVSU handed Ashley Christie a degree. A month later, they handed her a badge.

The 23-year-old Bay City native and former SVSU track standout joined the University Police Department in June after earning a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice.

The youngest officer on staff, Christie will complete her three-month field training program Sept. 18, effectively making her an officer.

"It's to my advantage that I was a student before," Christie says of her familiarity with her new jurisdiction. "I know the geography of Saginaw Valley and I know a lot of the people."

Christie's journey from commencement to employment was a short one. After applying to a number of different departments, she decided to submit her application to SVSU at the urging of her police academy director and part-time University Police officer, Mike Wiltse. Though Christie says she had originally eyed a bigger department, she says her time thus far at a smaller one has yielded its benefits.

"Now, I couldn't imagine going to a big department," she says. "It would be really overwhelming having never been a police officer and being in a huge city. Now I can just concentrate on the little things and do more community policing."

Christie says she will also concentrate a great deal on her education. The department will help pay for a large portion of her Master's degree in addition to sending her to other types of training.

Currently, Christie sees her position with the University Police Department as a stepping stone, possibly helping her achieve her goal of becoming a state trooper and working with the K-9 unit. Christie says she also would like to work on a S.W.A.T. team, citing that her athletic background and propensity for activity would make her a good candidate.

Regardless of where she eventually ends up, Christie says police duty has forever been her calling.

"I've always wanted to be a police officer," she says. "My grandfather was a state police detective, and so he would talk to me and my brother about everything. From the beginning, I've wanted to do this.”