Bridgewater College Police Chief Milton Franklin was drawn to BC by the close-knit community. In his eight years at the College, he has cherished the opportunity to build relationships with faculty, staff and, most of all, students.
Always ready with a smile and a greeting, he sees his role as one of a mentor – one who befriends students and guides them to making better decisions as necessary. He loves seeing them mature and advance in their confidence and awareness of situations.
“I’m amazed at the growth of our students from year 1 to year 3 or 4,” he said.
Most of Franklin’s 37-year career in law enforcement has been spent on college campuses in Virginia, including six years at Virginia Commonwealth University and eight years at J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College. He strives to lead by example and ensure Bridgewater’s Campus Police and Safety Department plays a special role in campus life. Officers make a habit of eating in the dining hall when they can, and often students will happily join them for lunch or chat as they pass by. The department has hosted annual events and open houses, giving students the opportunity to get to know them and see their office as a welcoming, safe haven, rather than a place where they go when they get in trouble or have a parking ticket to pay.
Blue Light Special events hosted by the department have included handing out donuts and coffee on the first day of class. Franklin enjoys these opportunities to start conversations with students, including any who might feel wary of a police presence in their community. In some cases, those conversations have served as starting points for building relationships of trust and ongoing interaction.
In 2021, Campus Police and Safety started a Cadet Program on campus, which invites students to partner with campus police in conducting patrols and keeping an eye out for anything that might require an officer. Out of the 11 cadets in the program to date, three have gone on to pursue careers in law enforcement. Franklin believes an on-campus experience like this opens doors and inspires Bridgewater students to explore careers they might not have otherwise considered.
A former football player at Virginia Tech, Franklin loves seeing BC’s student-athletes around campus and greeting football players and their families on game days. Regardless of the student, Franklin believes in always taking the time to speak to everyone, no matter what. “You never know what’s going on in someone’s life,” he said. “Every human being on this earth wants to be heard, wants to be seen.”
His passion for being present and making a difference in the lives of others is also evident in his community involvement. Franklin’s close relationship with local law enforcement includes serving as the current Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy. He also served as President for the Virginia Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators from 2018 to 2022. In addition to his membership in many law enforcement and emergency management organizations, he was appointed by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to the Board of Trustees of the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia in 2023.
A graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 256, a rigorous 10-week training held for senior law enforcement officials in Quantico, Va., Franklin also holds a Master of Arts in Homeland Security from American Military University.
Reflecting on the nature of his work, Franklin said that being a police chief comes with heavy responsibility. “People’s lives are on your shoulders.” The welfare of his officers is a constant concern, and he is often awake in the middle of the night, thinking about and checking on them. Franklin acknowledged that after the tragic loss of Campus Police Officer John Painter and Campus Safety Officer Vashon “J.J.” Jefferson, on Feb. 1, 2022, the things that kept him going were his family, his faith and his care for students. He is motivated by his deep conviction that “every day you have the opportunity to make a positive impact in someone’s life.”
– Olivia Shifflett
