After working in the narcotics unit of the Philadelphia Police Department for 24 years, Richard Rivera jokingly said he developed more than just the gray hair to prove it—he also developed a passion for community policing.

“From my experience of working in law enforcement, I can tell you that police officers need the trust of the community to effectively do their jobs,” Rivera said. “If you want to be a good police officer, you need to know the community.”

Now, Rivera hopes to bring his enjoyment of community engagement to Temple University’s Department of Public Safety (TUDPS). He was one of two new police officers recently added to the university’s force. 

“I’m looking forward to doing good police work on and around the university’s campus to make it a safer place for students, faculty and staff just as much as I am looking forward to working with community members. I want to make a real difference in people’s lives,” he said.

Rivera said his interest in joining TUDPS was sparked after hearing about the continuous efforts made by the department’s engagement unit. 
“Every department should be involved in community engagement the way Temple has been doing it,” Rivera said. “Community policing puts you in the right direction, if you do that correctly. 
It’s also important to lift up the community, and especially children, because we need their support.”

Rivera also pointed out that his older brother had a great career while working in the university’s housing office for more than 40 years before he retired.

“My brother described the atmosphere here at Temple as a great place to be and I admired that. I also greatly respect the university’s mission,” Rivera said.

Similarly, another fresh face welcomed to the roster of Temple Police last month, Patrick Longo, also has a Temple connection through family. Longo’s father graduated from the university in 1991 with a degree in mechanical engineering technology.

“I have a few friends who graduated from Temple, too, who all gave the campus high marks,” Longo said. 

Longo earned a criminology degree from Penn State University in 2019. He joined TUDPS after spending nearly two years with the Millbourne Police Department in Delaware County.

“It’s been a goal of mine to work in Philadelphia,” he said. “In particular, I wanted to come to Temple because of the great atmosphere of the college campus. There’s also a great mix of people and it would be great to further my education. I’m interested in going back to school to earn a master’s degree by utilizing Temple’s tuition remission program.”

Longo is also exploring Temple’s Employee Home Ownership Program. He also said he has a passion for working in the field of law enforcement.

“Being a police officer allows me to engage with people on a daily basis and to work outside. I enjoy engaging with people and getting paid to do it is great, because to me, it doesn’t feel like work,” he said. 

He added that he is also looking forward to working with Temple’s other police officers and learning from those who are more experienced in law enforcement. 

Temple’s Police Chief and Vice President for Public Safety Jennifer Griffin said both Rivera and Longo bring a wealth of law enforcement knowledge to campus. 

“The newest additions to TUDPS will serve the Temple and north Philadelphia communities well,” said Griffin. “These police officers are joining a dedicated and professional organization and will add to the excellence of Temple’s police department and our engagement efforts.”

In addition to these two new police officers, the department also has four recruits training in the police academy. They are expected to graduate next year. 

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