Meet the MIPSI Staff
Richard Mears
Executive Director, Maine Institute for Public Safety Innovations
I see Community Policing as enforcement of laws. I believe it is a refreshing integration between police and citizens toward the resolution of community problems, and recognize the fact that police alone cannot effectively deal with crime.
A. Richard Mears is the Executive Director of the Maine Institute for Public Safety Innovations at the University of Maine at Augusta and Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice. He served as a law enforcement professional in Maine for more than twenty-four years.
Professor Mears started his police career with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Southern Maine, and obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Maine in Orono while employed as a police officer at the Brunswick Police Department.
He was promoted to Deputy Chief of Police in 1986, and was assigned the task of building a regional training program for the Midcoast Chiefs of Police. In 1995, he began training Maine and Alabama police officers in Community Policing issues and was the recipient of the "Quinn Award" in 1998 by the New England Chiefs of Police for his "outstanding contribution to police training."
In 1996, Deputy Chief Mears retired from law enforcement to become a Criminal Justice Professor at the University of Maine at Augusta. He teaches in diverse areas such as Police Liability Management, Dealing with Mentally Ill People, Field Training Operations, Police Ethics, Chemical Agents, Criminal Law, Report Writing, Community Policing and Operational Counter-Terrorism.
As a Criminal Justice Professor, Mr. Mears has remained active in Community Policing issues. In June 1999, he was appointed as the Director of Community Justice Projects and is the current Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program for the University. Professor Mears is credited with being the chief architect of the newly adopted Bachelor’s of Science degree in the Administration of Justice Program for the University of Maine System. Included within this degree is a 21-hour certificate program in "Community Policing."
As a result of the bombing of the World Trade Center in 2001, Director Mears became very involved in the development of counter-terrorism measures for the State of Maine. He developed a training partnership with Maine Representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney General's Office and local law enforcement to provide an operational investogation team of local, state and federal law enforcement investigators. He is also certified in the area of counter-terrorism as a trainer and developed a training program specific to Airport Security for the Office of Community Oriented Policing in Washington, D.C.
If you would like to contact Professor Mears, he can be reached at UMA at 207-621-3281 or at MCPI at 207-621-3480. He welcomes your inquiries.
Roxane Genovese
Training Coordinator
Roxane Genovese joined the Maine Institute for Public Safety Innovations November 2002, transferring from Mid-State College, where she was an Enrollment Associate. Her primary duties at MIPSI involve training logistics and planning, financial management and all administrative activities.
She is currently enrolled in the Bachelor's Program at UMA. If you would like more information about MIPSI, please contact Roxane at 207-621-3418. She can also be reached at 207-621-3480 or by email at genovese@maine.edu.
Contact Us
Maine Institute for Public Safety Innovations
The University of Maine at Augusta
48 University Drive, Augusta, ME 04330
e-mail: MIPSI@maine.edu
(207) 621-3418
1-800-734-2991 (in Maine)
(207) 621-3301 (fax)
(207) 621-3281 - Executive Director
(207) 621-3068 - Associate Director