“I think the most surprising thing is the volume of work on a college campus,” said RUPD’s Detective Lieutenant Melvin Breton. 

Breton, who grew up in the Bronx in New York City, always wanted to be a New York Police Officer. “Life happens,” Breton, the father of five said. Becoming a New York City police officer was not the right choice at the time. Eventually, Breton moved to New Jersey, and through a connection, heard about a job in Rutgers Mail Services department. He joined Rutgers Mail Services in 2011. “I enjoyed it,” Breton said. “I was an assistant manager setting up the student mail kiosk systems. I had been working at a law firm previously and had experience in administrative work.” 

When RUPD announced it was hiring, Breton took notice and sent in his resume. Breton joined Rutgers police department in 2015 and completed the police academy in December of that year. For the first two years Breton worked the night shift. “I learned a lot,” he said. “We deal with everything. I don’t think people realize how many issues come up in a college environment,” Breton explained. 

From the night shift, Breton moved to the Professional Standards group and learned the administrative side of policing: handling accreditations, training, and working with new recruits. The job he always wanted, however, was in the Detective Bureau. When a job opened in the bureau, he applied, and got it. In 2021, Breton was promoted to Sergeant.     

“I was back on the road, and this time supervising officers,” Breton said. “I also had my own caseload. I was busy.” 

In 2022, he took on the role as Acting Lieutenant for the Detective Bureau. Shortly thereafter, he took the promotional exam to become a Lieutenant. At the same time, Breton was pursuing his AA in Criminal Justice. “I was taking five courses, and I took the Lieutenant’s test, too. I scored number one,” he recounted. The test includes interviews with chiefs around the country, as well as the RUPD chiefs. For Breton it was a proud moment to attain the highest score while pursuing his AA. 

In August 2023, Breton became RUPD’s Detective Lieutenant. Currently he is building the detective division. “It’s a busy group. So many items come into lost and found, as well as evidence from crimes.”

Within the Detective Bureau is the Records group, which catalogs charges, evidence, and lost and found. In addition, a video 
analyst reviews all video evidence, and the Evidence Manager ensures evidence is securely stored until needed. 

Changes in the law, as with the recent changes to the marijuana laws, for example, have a ripple effect. Former offenses under the old laws that no longer apply require adjusting records. This may mean adjusting hundreds of records. 

As Detective Lieutenant, Breton reviews every report that comes into New Brunswick and guides his officers in policy and procedure. The bureau has to consider university policy, Middlesex County policies, and state policies.  

A university police officer has a lot to juggle. “For a Rutgers police officer, because the campuses are right in our cities, many crimes are done by unaffiliated individuals,” Breton explained. “Anyone can walk on our campuses.”

The most gratifying part of the job is completing the case and solving the crime. “We are here for the community and we want to assist, and the most gratifying part of the job is when we can solve a crime and help the victim,” Breton concluded.

Featured in the IP&O Newsletter, December 2024.