As the University Apartments North lead officer, Jonathan Rivenburg is all too familiar with the buildings he patrols. Having lived at Rieber Hall as an undergraduate, he now protects the same campus he studied at as a UCLA student.
Officer Rivenburg’s beat covers all the campus residential buildings north of Santa Monica Blvd., which include The Hill, Weyburn Terrace, Gayley Heights, and Faculty Levering and Wilkins apartments. He handles any calls that come in such as reports of theft, crimes in progress, or just needing to keep the peace between roommates.
Another important role he serves is as a liaison between the police department and UCLA Housing. Officer Rivenburg meets regularly with resident directors along with the Community Service Officer (CSO) staff and Housing safety team. He also interfaces with the campus community to hear their concerns and let them know that the department is looking after their safety and security.
“I'm building the public trust within the community,” says Officer Rivenburg, “but I'm also hoping to create a bubble around the community where they feel safe and secure without being burdened by the possible crimes that could come from the outside.”
While a student at UCLA, Officer Rivenburg studied at the School of Theater, Film and Television. But he had always wanted to be a police officer since he was a child and decided to pursue that passion after graduating. It’s very meaningful for him to now patrol the same areas where he lived and studied as a student.
“I truly enjoy being tasked with preserving the safety of a community that I was once a part of,” says Officer Rivenburg. “There was an officer who was doing that for me, and now I get to be that officer.”
What he appreciates about working at UCPD is the level of service the department provides to the campus community, even with a population that can range from 70,000-90,000 depending on the time of day.
“Everyone who works there is dedicated to the well-being of the community we serve,” says Officer Rivenburg. “There's a personal touch that we offer to the university that I've seen from my partners that is really refreshing.”
