Eric Carlson steps into DPS leadership role
By Skylar Mattson
On Feb. 13, Eric Carlson joined the St. Kate’s community as the new director of Public Safety.
Carlson brings a blend of experience to his position. Before pursuing law enforcement, he graduated from the University of Minnesota with degrees in Psychology and Speech Communication. As a police officer and EMT, Carlson spent six years in juvenile and community corrections where he worked in diversion programs, restorative justice and crisis team response. He also spent 22 and a half years as a patrol officer for a suburban police department, which included three years working as a school resource officer. Throughout his career, Carlson has worked with ambulance and fire services and while investigating offenses, he has worked through medical, accidents, fire and weather events that gave public safety meaning to him.
The director role appeared at a fortunate time for Carlson. “I had just begun my search for a next chapter,” he shared. “A coworker at my old Department who is a Katie was aware of the opening and recommended it to me. The more I looked into it, the more I was attracted to the idea. The university role represented a position from which I could apply my years of direct service. St. Kate's campus appealed to me as a moderate-sized footprint, with a close-knit team in position to provide security services that aim to foster a feeling of safety for students, staff and the community adjacent.”
Carlson explained that as director of Public Safety, he expects to be involved in formulating efforts but has to trust in his Department of Public Safety (DPS) team members to handle the action “in the moment.” He looks forward to “filling out the roster with well-trained staffers, and then tending to the needs of the team to meet the needs of the community. Things will pop up from within and from outside, and we will serve our role on campus to maintain the campus community's sense of safety, health and well-being.”
It seems that changes to the ways in which St. Kate’s campus remains safe would go unnoticed by anyone who does not work in DPS. Carlson stated that “from everything I've seen in my short time in place, the structure is sound, the team is strong and the mission is clear. I have no ambition to ‘tear down and rebuild’ anything. I plan to start by keeping my focus on actively listening and asking good questions so that when I am called upon to steer the Department, I will do so effectively and efficiently. Obviously, as technologies emerge that can augment or replace existing infrastructure, we will likely consider these, but nothing that I'd expect a student or faculty to even notice.”
As he continues to settle into his role, Carlson is finding his stride and already noticing areas where he can contribute to safety and security on campus. He hopes to build relevant relationships both on and off campus. To connect with Carlson, you can reach out via St. Kate’s email or through DPS.
