Walking through the UCF library, studious eyes move from thick books and lock contact with a familiar face: Joel Witherspoon.
“Call me ‘Spoon’,” he tells students.
This 53-year-old UCFPD community relations officer makes a conscious effort to engage in conversation with students; laying the foundation so they feel comfortable enough to approach him with any issue they may be experiencing on campus.
After retiring from 20 years with the New York Police Department, Witherspoon traded in a well-paying job of chasing down criminals for a smaller salary at UCFPD.
Despite the significant pay difference, he says he enjoys his job and working with students in a university environment.
“It’s what I know best. It’s what I do best,” he says.
Working with UCFPD
Scanning desks, tables and chairs, Witherspoon inspects the library to ensure no students have abandoned their laptops and other expensive items.
On-campus theft is one of the most common crimes on campus, Witherspoon said. Usually he leaves a note as a friendly reminder to students to protect their belongings so they don’t get ripped off.
Unlike officers who patrol the community searching for criminals, Witherspoon takes on a different set of responsibilities through his community relations officer role.
Instead of making DUI arrests, Witherspoon can be found educating students on the dangers of drinking and driving by using beer goggles to mimic intoxication levels. He said through this demonstration he hopes to help students make safe drinking decisions.
When he’s not educating students on alcohol safety, Witherspoon is arranging workshops that range from self-defense to campus safety. These duties usually lead to working overtime because of all the events and workshops he puts on for students.
Witherspoon also assists with recruiting new officers for the department and leading them through the application process.
He tells new recruits that UCFPD is not a place where an officer can expect to be very active.
“Crime wise we’re not as busy as the [Orange County] Sheriff’s Office,” he said.
From NY Criminals to UCF Students
Law enforcement has a lot to do with working with people, Witherspoon said.
Working with criminal minds in the big apple is distinctively different than working with students within a university community, he said.
Witherspoon said he has observed students’ tendency and willingness to want to do the right thing, but fit in at the same time.
When Witherspoon witnesses a student at a tailgate drinking beer, he asks, “Is this why you came to college?”
Usually, he said, students just need a reminder that they are attending college to earn an education, not end up behind bars for careless mistakes by drinking underage, using fake IDs, or drinking and driving.
“I love to encourage them to continue in the right path,” he said.
However, the people aren’t the only aspect that changed when Witherspoon began working at UCFPD eight years ago. When he moved south, so did his paychecks – along with living expenses.
“Crime doesn’t pay”
Working overtime Witherspoon was able to bring in $55,000 last year, although, his base salary is $43,000.
He said that top pay salary at NYPD is $90,000 and the base is $78,000.
The statewide average hourly wage for someone in this position is $27.72 and the Orlando average for police officers is $23.80 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, Witherspoon makes less than both of these averages with a $20.67 hourly wage.
On the other hand, Witherspoon is actually earning 85.7 percent more than the $11.13 per hour living wage in Seminole county, where he calls home.
The annual average salary for an officer in the U.S. is $45,376, which falls into UCFPD’s pay range from $40,000 to $54,000.
“Crime doesn’t pay,” Witherspoon said.
Although Witherspoon is earning less money in Florida compared to New York, he is able to make ends meet with the lower living expenses and his pension from NYPD.
Real estate cost is the largest difference he noticed from his costs in New York compared to Florida.
After leaving behind the higher living expenses in New York, Witherspoon was able to switch from a 1,300 square foot home to a 3,000 square foot home with a pool.
Following approval from the university’s Board of Trustees during their meeting on Sept. 24, UCFPD officers earned a 3 percent salary increase, UCF spokesperson Courtney Gilmartin said.
“I’ll probably save it,” Witherspoon said of what he plans to do with his small salary increase.
UCFPD currently has 71 sworn officers who will all receive the salary increase and five new officers will join the department on Oct. 19, Gilmartin said.
Life Lessons with Spoon
Witherspoon discussed that many people believe law enforcement jobs are stressful and lead to bitterness. His perspective is different, though.
“The world is complicated,” Witherspoon said, “but you don’t want it to complicate you.”
Photo by Katrina Poggio
