In 2014, sociology alumna Shelley Zimmerman (criminology and criminal justice, 1981) made history when she was named San Diego’s first female chief of police. On March 1, 2018, Zimmerman officially retired her post, completing a 35-year policing career that began, rather serendipitously, in 1982.

“The journey through life is rarely a straight line; there will be many twists and turns. I never could have predicted that my journey would have taken me to San Diego and the Chief of Police of the San Diego Police Department,” said Zimmerman. “It was a football game that changed my life.”

In 1980, Zimmerman attended the Rose Bowl and watched as her beloved Buckeyes lost to USC. While the loss was devastating, a side trip to San Diego helped assuage the pain. And it transformed her life.  “San Diego was just so beautiful”.

“I returned to The Ohio State and after graduating, I jumped on a plane with only $200 dollars in my pocket, one suitcase and my guitar and headed to San Diego. When I got off the plane, I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t have a job, I didn’t even have a place to stay.” “I used to tell people as your police Chief I plan much better now”.

Zimmerman’s father was a trial attorney in her hometown of Cleveland, and she had planned to follow in his footsteps. But she needed a job first, to help pay for law school, so she applied to become a San Diego police officer.

“From day one, I fell in love with being a police officer and never went to law school,” she said. “What I fell in love with was the opportunity to make a positive difference in someone’s life every single day and usually at their worst possible moment.”

“My career took a lot of twists and turns and I embraced all of them and it was an honor and privilege to end my career as the Chief of Police”. Early in her career she worked undercover going back to high school to bust drug sellers on the campus. Keep in mind this was long before the TV show and later the movies of 21 Jump Street.  For the next 31 years, Zimmerman worked many of the San Diego Police Department’s patrol commands as well as Vice, Narcotics, Internal Affairs, Multi-Cultural Community Relations Office, the Mayor’s Executive Protection Detail, the Narcotics Task Force and the Field Lieutenant position. And she called upon her experience and training in sociology to help navigate those jobs.

“My entire Ohio State experience helped me as a police officer and then as an administrator,” Zimmerman said. “Police work is not just about responding and reacting to crime. It is about figuring out why and then preventing the why. This is where the study of sociology is very valuable. Not everyone reacts the same to similar situations.” In fact, Zimmerman said another thing she loved about being a police officer is you will likely have the opportunity to use every bit of knowledge you have ever learned no matter how important or seemingly meaningless because you are going to respond to countless unique situations.

Zimmerman reflected on the classes she took as a sociology student, sharing different viewpoints and opinions with classmates and professors.

“Having a civil dialogue is what our country is all about. I remember numerous sociology classes where we exchanged different experiences and opinions and worked hard to find common ground, so we could move the conversation forward. I used those lessons in my career by giving as many stake holders as possible a seat at the table. No one person has all the answers and you must seek out differing points of view.”

In February 2014, Zimmerman was appointed San Diego’s first female chief of police. Under her command, the city ushered in body-cameras, the biggest city ever at that point to do so. She led the charge in implementing dozens of reforms suggested by the U.S. Department of Justice and refocused on community policing efforts that had fallen stagnant. In Zimmerman’s last full year as Chief, San Diego saw the lowest crime rate in 49 years and had the lowest homicide rate of any of the largest cities in our country. What is remarkable about these numbers is also the fact San Diego has more than doubled its population since crime rates were this low.

“The badge we as police officers proudly wear is not just a piece of polished metal. It represents the people of our communities. It is a symbol of service above self, of honor, of dedication, of personal courage, of professionalism and the oath we all took to protect and serve. Being a police officer is not just a job, it is a sacred commitment to protect society, often the most vulnerable and humblest among us. And that is a sacrifice we willingly made when we became a police officer and there are not many professions that can say that.”

Before she retired, Zimmerman shared her thoughts on what’s to be expected from the next generation of law enforcement professionals.

From my perspective, there is no doubt that in the history of policing this is the most challenging time to be a police officer. The emerging threats to society from terrorist attacks, active shooters and online opioid sales, to name a few, require law enforcement to be adaptive. Today’s law enforcement professionals must be more complete in their capabilities and more global in their perspective to succeed in keeping their communities safe. But law enforcement cannot do this alone and that is why public safety must be a shared responsibility. Assembling a collaborative team both inside your department and outside, who check their egos at the door will provide a formidable coalition against those who wish to bring fear and harm into our neighborhoods”.

The journey of life – like Zimmerman’s – is rarely a straight line; there are always twists and turns. Zimmerman’s advice to sociology graduates looking to their future:

“Don’t be afraid to chart uncharted waters, to travel down unfamiliar paths, to invent the next product that will transform our world, or to be the inspiration your children will never forget.” And did I mention the San Diego Police Department is hiring.