MTSU Police procure, pursue grants for detective position, tech to better serve campus community

Middle Tennessee State University Police Detective Tommy Roberts, second from left, who specializes in investigating domestic violence and sexual assault, takes a photo April 26, 2023, with MTSU’s detective team on “Denim Day,” a campaign to raise awareness about the prevalence and misconceptions of sexual assault. Standing, from left, are Detective Trevor Chaney, Roberts, Detective Lt. Kim Rednour, Detective Lt. Andrew Bennet and Detective Derrick Wharton. (Submitted photo)

For MTSU Police Department Chief Ed Kaup, searching for and procuring grants is an important part of the department’s work.

“With grant funding, we are able to develop worthwhile programs or purchase equipment to better serve the community while not putting that cost burden on the university,” Kaup said. “The selection process is very competitive but worth the effort.”

Edwin Kaup, Chief, University Police. — Chief Edwin Kaup

Currently, the department has three grants in various stages of development.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s STOP Violence Against Women Formula grant, more commonly referred to as the STOP grant, funds a full-time detective position that is solely dedicated to handling domestic violence and sexual assault cases.

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office grant funds programs to help reduce fatalities, injuries and economic losses caused by traffic crashes across the state, and the department plans to put the $4,000 award toward a speed trailer — a large screen that measures and displays the speed of passing traffic. The department hopes to officially receive the funds and purchase the trailer soon.

Middle Tennessee State University Police Detective Tommy Roberts, who specializes in investigating domestic violence and sexual assault, and officer Hope Kerbo hold up their signed “Start by Believing” pledge forms in December 2022, part of the Sexual Violence Prevention Tool Kit put together by the university’s June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students. (Submitted photo)

The final grant is facilitated by the Bureau of Justice Assistance to help police departments expand body-worn camera programs. Kaup is hoping to get funds to help upgrade and replace the department’s current body-worn cameras and in-car cameras with newer equipment allowing storage of video evidence from both to be stored together in a cloud-based video management system. Kaup hopes to hear back on their application this fall.

The STOP grant not only allows a detective to focus on a critical area of crime but frees up funds to hire another patrol officer, Kaup said, adding that the other, additional funds to improve law enforcement technology will help improve traffic safety and department transparency and accountability.

STOP grant detective

Detective Tommy Roberts stepped into the STOP grant position, slated to go through 2026, last year after 25 years as a special victims unit detective for the Murfreesboro Police Department.

“I have seen the impact and collateral damage that these types of crimes cause on the individual victims, their families, friends and the community,” Roberts said. “In my opinion, a victim of sexual assault has the most difficult time getting justice. It takes a lot of courage to report and even more courage to go forward with prosecution.”

Middle Tennessee State University Police Detective Tommy Roberts, who specializes in investigating domestic violence and sexual assault, speaks at a sexual assault and domestic violence panel coordinated by Rebecca Oldham, MTSU assistant professor in human sciences, at the Academic Classroom Building on campus on April 10, 2023. (Submitted photo)

Roberts said his role extends from investigations into assisting victims in navigating the court system and connecting them with MTSU and local support resources as well as training MTSU officers on best response practices for these crimes. He also spreads the word on recognizing and preventing these crimes through frequent community outreach, participating on multiple panels across campus about interpersonal violence, elder abuse, sexual assaults, stalking and child abuse.

Roberts said he is available to speak to any MTSU group or department on these issues, and those interested should contact him at Tommy.Roberts@mtsu.edu.

MTSU officers also offer and instruct annual, free-of-charge Rape Aggression Defense Systems, or RAD, courses for women 13 and older with more information available at https://www.mtsu.edu/police/RAD.php. Further, MTSU’s June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students offers support for survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault and other crimes of this nature.

Aside from dialing 911 in the case of an emergency, MTSU Police encourage the community to reach out through the police non-emergency number at 615-898-2424 to report any suspicious activity, safety hazards or crime.

Stay updated on all campus safety and law enforcement information by following MTSU Police on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and visiting the website at https://www.mtsu.edu/police/.

— Stephanie Wagner (Stephanie.Wagner@mtsu.edu)