TCNJ

37 SPRING 2024 One of Mastrosimone's favorite parts of his job as a TCNJ police officer is showing first-year students that not all cops are the tough-as-nails types so often portrayed on television. "The public doesn't realize the empathy of law enforcement," he says. "We come across as very straight and narrow and don't want to show emotions." But being on a college campus, he says, much of his job is creating a safe community. "We have a great age group, the 18- to 22-year-old demographic, and the majority have never had any kind of law enforcement interaction," Mastrosimone says. "For us to be able to show them that interaction in a positive way — to show them the human side, and laugh with them — is priceless." Mastrosimone joined the campus police after graduating 22 years ago, and today, he's one of three TCNJ graduates on the force. Iannaccone started on the job his senior year; today, he's also an MBA candidate at TCNJ. Fallas, who sat next to Iannaccone at their TCNJ graduation ceremony, started on the force earlier Officer Jorge Fallas '23, Officer Andrew Iannaccone '23, and Lieutenant Matthew Mastrosimone '02 TCNJ Police Department MITCHELL SAYS: Some studies find more than 70% of police work consists of unassigned time in which officers are not actively responding to calls for service. this year. "I've always had people supporting me, almost like guardian angels by my side," Fallas says. "Honestly, I just wanted to do that for other people. Whatever the situation may be, I would like to be there for someone." ■ Christopher Hann is executive editor of River Towns Magazine. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Philadelphia, and New Jersey Monthly. Patti Harmon is a New Jersey-based writer and editor who covers arts, lifestyle, business, and health.

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