Retiring UP veteran receives honor

Lt. William Pollock received a personal Bulls jersey with his name and the No. 30 for the years of service he had at the USF Police Department on Nov. 22, and a football signed by USF football coach Jim Leavitt in recognition of his retirement on March 31. Pollock was presented with the jersey and the football 20 minutes before the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) game by USF athletic director Lee Roy Selmon to show the athletic department’s appreciation for his help to the program.

Pollock has served USF for 30 years.

Bobby Paschal, assistant director of intercollegiate athletics, worked closely with Pollock in coordinating the away football games and said the soon-to-be retired officer has worked very hard for the safety of the football team since its beginnings, in addition to keeping an eye on other athletic teams.

“Pollock has traveled with us on our trips for security presence around the hotels and with the teams on the road and at the stadium,” Paschal said. “He’s always gone beyond the call of duty and he put his heart and soul into his job for the athletic department and for USF.”

Rob Higgins, coordinator for intercollegiate athletics, added that Pollock worked hard to protect others.

“(Pollock) spent countless hours helping make sure all bags, trucks, vans, official cheerleaders and everyone was safe,” Higgins said. “The way the (Raymond James) stadium is, it’s been voted the most secure building in NFL, which translates to us, and (Pollock) helped spearhead that effort.”

Pollock also contributed by promoting safety with Parking Services, the Rape Aggression Defensive (RAD) program and the Crime Prevention through Environment Design (CPED), in which he would look at blueprint designs of proposed buildings and critique the safety of it’s architectural design based on criminal tendencies.

In addition, Pollock helped with the Victim’s Advocacy program by working with staff and students and offered seminars on personal safety.

“(Pollock) was very supportive of crime prevention through RAD classes and he was very sensitive to clients’ needs and dedicated to empowering females,” said Thea Poellinger, a victim’s advocate. “(Pollock) was always accessible whenever we need him and all of us will miss him very much.”