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University names social work professorship in honor of slain police officer

 

Police officer Jillian Michele Smith. Photo courtesy of the Star-Telegram.

The University of Texas at Arlington has named a $250,000 professorship in social work in honor of Jillian Michele Smith, an Arlington police officer who was murdered last December while investigating a domestic violence complaint, according to this article in the Star-Telegram.

Smith graduated cum laude from UTA in 2009 with a bachelors degree in criminology and criminal justice and a minor in sociology. The endowed chair will allow further research into domestic violence.

Smith was investigating a domestic violence complaint. The alleged abuser entered the apartment and began shooting a gun, killing Smith and the woman who was filing the complaint before killing himself. The 11-year-old daughter of the woman was left unharmed.

“Anything positive that results – for example, better training for police officers responding to family violence calls -would be good,” Smith’s father Doug Smith said in a statement.

Social workers often help victims of domestic violence or other incidents. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Family Safety Website by clicking here.

 

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  1. Some might think that such an endowment is odd. I don’t. Stereotypes be damned. (Someone was really thinking for this to have played out the way it has. Bravo!)

    Having worked as a social worker on the evening shift in a very busy urban trauma center it was not uncommon to hear a call from some corner of the ER, ” Hey, we need either a social worker of a cop over here right now!” The squad of cops I worked with in that ER were amongst some of the most intellegent, eloquent, and skillful advocates of justice and compassion that I have known. On occassion I would arrive first and the flash of a weapon would convince me to stall for the man or woman in uniform and kevlar to arrive. On other occassions I arrived second, only to find an officer embracing a distraught parent, calming a drunk, or seriously shooing away hallucinatory images with a smile and a knowing wink. It was in that environment that I learned to really value the work of the police. Yes I know of many injustices and abuses by other police. But I also know that I (and the other social workers in that ER) recieved as many “heads up” to people in need of our services from the cops as we did from the doctors and nurses. Actually, one of those offices, now a sergeant, eventually took a leave of absence to complete an MSW degree.

    If you don’t personally know a police officer, I would encourage you to do something about that. Request an opportunity to do a “ride along.” Some communities actually offer a “citizens academy” where people can meet officers and actually go through a day long or week-end orientation course. Check to learn if your local department has a victim services division: perhaps they could benefit from your volunteer expertise. Our own local PD has a social worker from the local domestic violence shelter assigned full time to the police headquarters, following up with officers on every single DV call they have responded too.
    Gary Bachman MSSW

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