https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asQRadHDZTw

One of AACC’s two female police officers this summer became the first officer on the campus police force to be promoted to the rank of sergeant.

Sgt. Janene Kerpelman, who came to AACC as a public safety officer in 2011, said the road to sergeant “was a lot of work. So I was very excited.”

“We’re very proud of her,” Police Chief Sean Kapfhammer said. “She’s a great police officer and certainly an asset to our department.”

Kerpelman became a police officer first class in 2014 after attending the Police Academy.

The sergeant’s exam was “about 110 questions,” she said. “It goes over criminal law, traffic law, policy, and then we did scenario-based questions.”

Kerpelman said her new role is similar to her previous position as an officer, with more supervisory responsibility.

She will continue to serve as the senior instructor for AACC’s Rape Aggression Defense classes and as the campus’s community relations officer, although both roles are on hold during the pandemic.

Kerpelman said she is looking forward to the time when the campus fully reopens.

“I miss my community on campus,” she said. “I miss seeing everybody’s faces. I spend most of my time doing community work … community relations. Going out and visiting is non-existent now, basically. So I miss everybody.”