Indiana University Public Safety has been involved in the Regatta at Indiana University Indianapolis since its start 16 years ago. Capt. Kimberly Minor, who has served on the IU Police Department for 28 years, remembers it well.
“The IUPD rowed in the first race,” she said. “The Regatta has really grown since then.”
While the size of the canoe race on the Downtown Canal and the festivities have changed, as well as the name of the campus, IU Public Safety’s commitment to maintaining the safety and security of all those who attend has remained steadfast.
Months ahead of the Regatta, members of IUPD and the Emergency Management and Continuity team begin planning and coordinating with organizations from IU Indianapolis, the city and the county.
Jason Kephart, Emergency Management and Continuity director in Indianapolis, works with the event organizers in advance to determine their needs and ensure that resources like emergency medical services are available.
“Our work is pretty straightforward,” he said. “We’re making sure everyone has the resources they need.”
This year, Kephart was also monitoring the impact of Hurricane Helene and providing regular weather updates. When race day arrived, Campus Facility Services cleared branches and other debris from Military Park, and light rain fell as police blocked Blackford Street to make way for pedestrian traffic near food vendors.
Kephart and Minor were in close contact throughout the day, and each of them wore radios tuned to hear any chatter from the dispatch center or elsewhere.
Minor made sure officers knew the race route and where they could expect to see the most activity. At the start of the opening ceremony festivities, the rain was gone, and the work of IU Public Safety staff shifted from planning to monitoring.
Officers were available near the corner of Blackford and New York streets to answer any questions. They walked along the canal chatting with students, faculty, staff and visitors.
Brandon Biagini, a part-time IUPD officer and a senior at IU Indianapolis, was among them. He had attended the Regatta as a student, but this was the first time he was there as an officer, after graduating from the IU Police Academy this fall. As he walked along the canal, he was keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary and engaging with people as they walked by.
“You can find out a lot about safety risks just by talking to people,” he said.
Biagini said that being a police officer has given him a whole new perspective on the university and the behind-the-scenes activity to increase safety. On race day, he said, he was just excited that the rain held off and was looking forward to cheering on the IUPD team that competed in the canoe race.
Officers Eric Lyons, Adam Brackin and Jennifer Buenrostro joined Minor and Joshua Stephens, financial administrative coordinator for IU Public Safety, on the team. They wore black shirts that said “Law and Oarder: Regatta Unit” on the back and finished in 19th place out of 67 co-ed teams.
“We had a great time,” Minor said. “The return crew came very close to tipping, but they quickly recovered.”
From planning to paddling, rain or shine, IU Public Safety officials will continue to provide the greatest possible degree of safety for all who participate in the Regatta at IU Indianapolis.
