Matthew Catron, center, and DeRon McIntyre, immediately right, pose for a picture with University Police officers after their pinning ceremony in Blankenship Hall on Feb. 17. Credit: Nick Roll | Campus Editor
University Police held a pinning ceremony for a pair of recently sworn in officers on Friday afternoon. Officers DeRon McIntyre and Matthew Catron, both Ohio State graduates, are two of the four officers to be hired and paid for with money coming from alcohol sales at Ohio Stadium.
“We love to bring our Buckeyes home,” University Police Chief Craig Stone told the audience gathered for the ceremony at Blankenship Hall.
He went on to thank University President Michael Drake, Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Gene Smith, and Jay Kasey, senior vice president for administration and planning, for their work with the alcohol sales, which debuted at The Shoe during the 2016 football season.
Stone said that the recent addition of McIntyre and Catron, as well as a third officer currently at the Columbus Police Academy who was also hired through Ohio Stadium’s alcohol sales, puts University Police at 52 officers. That number is expected to rise to 53 when the fourth alcohol sales-related officer is hired.
McIntyre had his wife pin his badge on his uniform in front of the crowd, which consisted of family, friends and new coworkers. Catron’s wife also pinned his badge at the ceremony.
Catron, who was most recently at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, said he was excited for his future at OSU.
“In the time that I’ve been away, the campus has changed so much,” said Catron, a 2010 graduate. “It’s exciting to see the growth that’s occurring here, I’m excited to a part of future growth.”
Both Catron and McIntyre said their experiences as students would help them in their jobs.
“I think relatability is a big factor, no matter what your profession is,” said McIntyre, a 2007 graduate who was most recently at the Ohio State Highway Patrol. “If you can relate to someone, you can probably help them better … so I think that’s probably the biggest factor, I can understand how things are working (for students).”
Catron said that being a former student at OSU would help him relate to the stresses students face today.
“If I need to go talk to anybody or help anybody through my work, I can say, ‘Hey I’ve been there before,’” he said. “That’s something unique to someone who’s been at the university before.”
For McIntyre, he said his time as a Buckeye seemed to be coming full circle.
“My experience with Ohio State (as a student) was phenomenal, and that’s largely due to the faculty and staff just doing their jobs everyday, and doing it with a purpose,” he told the audience after being pinned. “Just to be a part of that now, to be a part of that staff, to do that job to continue to make this university great is extremely exciting.”
