BLUE JAY, Calif. — One of the founding fathers of the California College and University Police Chiefs Association (CCUPCA) and Campus Safety magazine passed away Thursday evening. Phillip Mullendore was 64 and died at his home.
“He spent his last day with loved ones, good friends, food that he loved and a beautiful mountain sunet,” said his wife Flo in her Facebook post on Friday. “He passed away quickly without pain or suffering. Thank you to the mountain paramedics/emergency personnel and the staff of Mountains Community Hospital who helped us through a shocking and painful evening. May God bring us all peace and comfort.”
Mullendore’s career spanned more than 40 years as a deputy sheriff and campus police chief, both in the K-12 and community college environments. He participated as an expert with the California Commission on Peace Officer Standard and Training (POST) in the development of the Campus Law Enforcement Course and was instrumental in developing the standards for the California Campus Security Officers course. Mullendore provided consultation services on campus security matters for colleges and school districts around the nation and was an elected member of a local school board of trustees.
During his time with CCUPCA, Mullendore served as its president and executive director, where he planned and participated in countless training sessions and conferences. He also founded the Campus Safety Journal, which was sold to Bobit Business Media in 2004 and renamed Campus Safety magazine.
“When I started with the publication, Phil was incredibly helpful to me. I knew little or nothing about law enforcement, let alone the specialized field of campus policing, and his guidance was invaluable,” says Robin Hattersley Gray, CS’ executive editor. “In the hours I spent with him over the years, his love for CCUPCA and the campus law enforcement community as a whole was obvious and greatly appreciated by everyone who knew him. I will miss him and his wisdom, but more importantly, his friendship.”
In a tribute to Mullendore, Westmount College Chief of Public Safety Tom Bauer wrote about his relationship with Mullendore and the evolution of the campus policing and security profession:
The year was 1978. I was a “wet behind the ears” Director of Campus Security at Westmont College. I arrived at a classroom of Azusa Pacific University to meet some other campus security directors for a problem solving roundtable. There were eight people at the meeting from other private colleges and universities and Phil Mullendore. Phil was the Chief of Police at Pasadena City College and I wondered why he was there.
Back in those early years, a security department at most private colleges and universities was considered to be an elevated custodial staff that carried the master keys. Our woefully inadequate training consisted of eight hours from BSIS on security roles and responsibilities and eight hours of fire arms training for our license to carry, which we renewed every two years. Very few campuses had any relationship with the local law enforcement agencies. Phil was the first cop I ever met who seemed to have an interest in what we were doing at the private schools and more importantly a genuine desire to help us do it better.
This meeting of the small group of private schools eventually petered out but Phil and I stayed in touch. In 1983 Phil told me about a new group called the California Community Colleges Police Chiefs Association that had formed and he invited me to the next conference in Monterey. I was a little hesitant about attending, as a non-sworn security department, but he assured me that I would be welcome and I was. For the next nine years I attended all the conferences as an associate member.
It was during these years under the leadership of Phil that regular training opportunities for the non-sworn departments of both the private and public colleges and universities began to happen. Phil came to my school at least a half dozen times and well as many other campuses throughout the state. He would teach the basic PC 832 modules but would tailor it to be useful for the non-sworn in the university and college setting. It was exactly what we needed. As a result, we began to see a new found credibility and respect for the non-sworn departments in higher education.
As the credibility for the nonsworn increased in concert with the CCCPCA’s desire to increase its membership, the CCCPCA evolved into the CCUPCA. UC, Cal State, and Private Colleges and Universities were invited to become full institutional members. Phil nominated me to become the first member from a private institution to sit on the Board of Directors of the CCUPCA and I was elected.
Phil and I served on the board together for many years in different offices until his retirement. He then became the CCUPCA executive director and was in that role during the two years I served as the first president of the association from a private institution. I’m so proud to see that the CCUPCA now has many members from private non-sworn schools and that the privates are a respected part of the law enforcement community. This would not have been possible if it were not for the vision, passion, and hard work of Phil Mullendore.
Phil Mullendore was my mentor and friend. I will miss him very much. May you rest in peace Phil. I will always remember you with great affection.
Chief Mullendore (Ret.) End of Watch Aug. 8, 2013.
CCUPCA has created a tribute page on its Web site http://www.ccupca.com/ so that you may share your special tributes of Phil’s life. If you would like to add your own personal memories of Phil, please send your thoughts and pictures to CCUPCA Executive Director Christine Smith ([email protected]).
