Lt. Trevor Shinn will be stepping in as the next University of Miami Police Department chief, succeeding Chief David Rivero who is soon to retire after serving 19 years in the role.
Shinn joined UMPD nine years agoafter nearly 30 years with the North Miami Police Department.
His vision for the future is centered around campus safety, community engagement and professional development within the department. He plans to strengthen the department’s relationship with the campus.
“My role will be about not just enforcing the laws, it will be shaping campus safety, shaping the culture of our own police department here,” Shinn said. “Shaping the relationships with our key campus partners, students, faculty and staff.”
He believes that strong relationships are one of the most important aspects of leadership, and hopes to change the lives of students and hisofficers.
His office plans to implement the Beyond the Badge program next year, which is designed to create conversations about the perceptions of the police department. It will also allow students to experience a simulator to see different situations through the eyes of an officer.
“We want to hear the perceptions that our community members have on us, but we would also allow them to understand our role and some of the things that drive our decisions,” said Shinn.
Shinin aims to expand current UMPD opportunities for community outreach and education.Continuing officers’ training in things like crisis management and incident training are top of his list.
“I have to ensure that our personnel are getting the best training and are prepared to respond,” Shinn said. “We do some large scale exercises with a lot of different agencies in our campus partners. So we’re going to expand on that, and we’re going to continue to look for the best equipment.”
After he graduated high school, he became a football coach for his high school football team. A few of the player’s parents were police officers, and they encouraged him to pursue law enforcement.
“They saw the passion that I had to work with young people and make a difference in people’s lives so they said, ‘You’d be a great police officer.’”
They continued to educate him about a career in law enforcement. He eventually , applied to the City of North Miami. He describes his first arrest as a young officer as extremely rewarding .
“You’re catching bad guys, and at that time in your career, that’s rewarding.”