GALLUP NATIVE SERVES ON UNM MAIN CAMPUS POLICE FORCE

June 10, 2003

GALLUP NATIVE SERVES ON UNM MAIN CAMPUS POLICE FORCE

Schear About to turn 22, Gallup native Christopher Schear may be one of the youngest police officers on the force at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, but he is also among the wisest.

Schear was recruited from the UNM Gallup Police Academy 21 months ago.

"I took a lot of ribbing for being so young," he recalled.

But Schear had already experienced what many seasoned officers never do. In 1995, his sister was murdered. The tragedy motivated the Gallup High School student to get serious about his future.

"My mom didn't think I would graduate back then. It's the things that maybe don't happen to you, but happen in your life that change you forever," he said.

Senior year in high school Schear took several criminal justice courses at UNM Gallup. After graduating, he enrolled in the campus police academy, worked as security for the branch and took college classes. Recruiters from the main campus police department selected Schear and another officer, Fred Miller, who is now with the Sandoval County force, to come to Albuquerque in fall 2001.

Lieutenant James Madrid, head of the UNM Gallup Police Department and instructor for the academy, said Schear was an exceptional student.

"He was very disciplined. I have didn't have to push him. Everything I told him to do he did it and did it well. I knew he was going to be a good police officer," Madrid said.

Schear worked graveyard at UNM main campus for the first 18 months. The past three he has been on swing shift covering for an officer who was injured off duty. Crimes most often encountered at the university are burglary and trespassing, he said.

"It's not the faculty, staff or students who are a problem. Mostly we keep an eye on who is coming through campus and try to find out if they are supposed to be here or not," he said.

Schear is valued by his superiors at UNM main campus, too.

"Chris provides exceptional public service to the University community," said Kathy Guimond, UNM police chief. "He is the type of officer that we seek to hire. It is our philosophy to hire police officers who not only do law enforcement, but officers who can think on their feet and exercise good judgment and be problem solvers. Chris is a good example. It is a challenge to the University to keep officers like him."

The chief will have to pull out all the stops to keep Schear. One college course shy of an associate degree, he also plans to earn a bachelor's degree from UNM. And it won't be in criminal justice.

"For a promotion or a move up to a federal agency they want you to have a degree in a field like accounting or business," says Schear who after college would like to join the U.S. Marshal Service.

"The Marshal Service protects courthouses, runs witness protection programs and transports inmates who are in federal jails," he says. "But that's not what I want to do. I want to work in fugitive recovery. We have all been given the blessing of life. Too many people take it for granted and do nothing in life but hurt others and think about themselves and that's not the way I was raised."

The son of Janelle and Joe Schear of Mentmore, he says he learned right from wrong at home. He hopes to make his parents proud.

"I grew up in Gallup with my mother and grandparents until I was 7 years old. Then the best thing in my life happened. My mom met my step dad who has always been there for me and has gone above and beyond his responsibilities. I believe that if he wasn't in my life there is no way I would be the person I am and there would be no chance of me becoming the person I want to be in the future," Schear said.

Recruited just prior to September 11, the tragic events reinforced his choice to be in law enforcement.

"Since 9-11 a lot of people come up to me and other officers and they just put their hand out and say thank you. Most of those people also say they don't know how we do it because they couldn't risk their lives for people they don't know for the pay. I never think about the money -- all that matters is that you love the job and that you love to make a difference."

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