First Responder of the Month: UPD Chief Calvin Sellers Remembers His Service

In two days, the University Police Department Chief Calvin Sellers will enjoy his deserved retirement after 32 years long police service of which 28 years were for university safety.

Here is a video interview at his retirement celebration this past weekend.

UPD Police Chief Calvin Sellers said, “I have really enjoyed my time here as the police chief. It is the best job. I am really going to miss it.”

He came to the University of Mississippi in 1986 from Water Valley where he began his police career.

“I had an opportunity to come to Ole Miss and work and go to school at the same time,” said Sellers. “I just loved what I was doing here.”

He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1998, and worked his way up from patrolman to university police chief at Mississippi University for Women and later for University of Mississippi police department.

“We are here for them. We’re here to make this place safe for them to be able to study and go to school and be successful. That’s it,” said Sellers. “We are here to make students successful in any way we can. At times maybe they don’t understand or appreciate some of the things we have to do to make this a safe campus.”

In the interview with Michael Newsom at Ole Miss Newsdesk he said, “This (university campus) is where I needed to be. I enjoyed – I still enjoy – interacting with the students. They keep you young. I mean, I don’t look young, but they make your ideas younger.”

The university police department is appreciative of Chief Sellers’ leadership.

Assistant UPD Chief Ray Hawkins said, “Chief Sellers was good with people and was able to create collaborative partnerships throughout the Oxford-University community.”

Photo by Kevin Bain. New UPD Chief Calvin Sellers

The best memory he has from decades of service on campus is the first presidential debate between Barack Obama and Senator John McCain (R – AZ) in 2008. That debate is historical for the university to point of naming the street near the Ford Center that hosted the event to Presidential Debate Way. Sellers felt immensely proud at the UPD’s effort to keep the campus secure for all.

“The presidential debate was a success and brought good value to the university,” said Sellers. “We should all be proud of and I think UPD had a vital role in seeing that success. I think we did a good job.”

Football games are a whole another world for the UPD, and the reason that Chief Sellers barely get time off until Christmas. He recounts his most memorable football game at Ole Miss.

“The Texas Longhorns game three years ago brought the biggest crowds,” said Sellers. “Most people would want me to say LSU. They do bring a huge crowd, but they really don’t give us many problems.”

Now he is just a couple days away from enjoying football games without security rounds. His retirement will be peaceful.

“I don’t have any plans,” said Sellers. “I try to catch up on some task around the house that I want to do. Maybe in a year or so I may be looking for some job. Right now I think I have enough stuff to occupy my time.”

After serving for 32 years as a police officer with a majority of those years for the university safety, his retirement may be greatly welcomed.

Callie Daniels is a staff writer and reporter for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.