Page 68 - March 2022

EDUCATION
The journey from law enforcement to college professor
My grandfather retired as a lieutenant with the Chicago Police Department, and I was always fascinated with his stories about catching “bad” guys. So when I went to college seeking a nursing degree, I quickly realized I wanted to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps. I switched majors with- out telling my parents, because in the ’70s, wom- en were not supposed to become police officers. When I finally told my parents, my father said it was okay because I would never be in a squad car. Boy, was he wrong!
I was fortunate to have a fascinating career as a police offi- cer in a suburb of Chicago.
I have a strong work ethic and was able to persevere and ignore negative comments and gestures because I was a fe- male. My path started like every new police officer in patrol; however, every six or seven years I changed positions and rank. During my 25 years, I was a juvenile detective, patrol sergeant, administrative sergeant, detective sergeant and pa- trol commander. I was the first and only female supervisor at
my police department for 12 years and the first commander in the suburbs. I realized early in my career that no one deserves special treatment — we are all officers in blue regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation.
During my tenure as a police officer, I obtained my master’s and doctoral degrees. They served me well, not only as a form of coping with the stress of the job but also opening up oppor- tunities for a second career. The job certainly can be stressful, so I encourage anyone in the profession to find a positive out- let for your stress. Mine just happened to be education. Lis- ten to your peers. These times are extremely stressful, and you need to have each other’s backs.
I have always enjoyed teaching, whether it was on-the-job training or teaching at the police academy. So when I retired, I started a second career as a college professor. I taught at Lewis University for 16 years and retired to a warmer climate one year ago, while continuing to teach online for Lewis Universi- ty. I didn’t stay out of retirement for long. I am now at Schrein- er University in Kerrville, Texas developing their new criminal justice program. What I have learned over my two careers is that you are never “not the police.”
I still consider myself a police officer first and a college professor second. I truly had a wonderful career, and I know I made a difference. We don’t often know if we make a differ- ence, but I had a wonderful experience in Costco when a for- mer juvenile I had dealt with often ran up to me in an aisle thanking me for all the times that I “hassled” her. She intro- duced me to her daughter, who knew all the stories from her mom. If you only make a difference in one person’s life, it is worth it. However, I do miss the camaraderie of my brothers and sisters in blue. Current times are not particularly good for law enforcement, but I know the profession is comprised of astonishingly caring people who want to help others and pro- tect their communities. Police work is an extremely honorable profession, and I encourage anyone with tough skin and the desire to make a difference to pursue a career in law enforce- ment.
Dr. Lynn Tovar has more than 30 years of law enforcement ex- perience prior to coming to Lewis University. Her list of titles during that time proves that she has consistently worked to provide protection and safety to her communities: patrol offi- cer, juvenile detective, patrol sergeant, administrative sergeant, juvenile detective sergeant, and eventually the Elk Grove Village Police Department Commander of Patrol. After she retired from that position in 2006, she joined Lewis University as coordina- tor of online education. In 2014, she became a professor in the Department of Justice, Law and Public Safety Studies, where she brings her years of experience to educate and prepare stu- dents for the field of criminal justice. She has recently retired from full-time teaching and continues to serve as an adjunct professor teaching part-time.
DR. LYNN TOVAR LEWIS UNIVERSITY
68 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2022