Baylor DPS Officer Graduates From Waco Police Academy

by LoAna Lopez

Patrick Dunigan, a Baylor University public service officer since 1991, graduated from the Waco Police Academy April 14 and has been commissioned as a police officer after being certified by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education. Dunigan is the third Baylor officer to graduate from the academy, raising the number of commissioned police officers on the force to 20.
Baylor officers are classified as adjunct Waco police officers and have co-jurisdiction with the Waco police in the area surrounding the Baylor campus.
Chief Jim Doak, with the Baylor Department of Public Safety, said the two forces continue to make the area a safer place for students, thanks to officers like Dunigan who complete the appropriate training.
"We are grateful to the Waco Police Department for their cooperation in permitting Patrick to be a part of this latest academy," Doak said. "Since Baylor and Waco police have co-jurisdiction in and around the Baylor campus, this provides a win-win scenario for both agencies and those whom we serve."
Dunigan, 27, said his priority will be to serve the people who are under his care as a police officer. "The safety of the students and staff comes first," he said. "I hope to help the Baylor community by making fair and reasonable decisions as things occur."
While in the academy, Dunigan endured 22 weeks of rigorous training along with 18 cadets from the Waco force. Afterward, he began an extensive field training program with the Baylor Police Department.
Dunigan and his wife, Casey, have a 1-year-old son, Bailey.