Counselor, comforter and protector are just some of the roles McClain Mullins and other police officers play on a daily basis.
"Police officers are more than just ticket writers," said Mullins, an officer with the Mississippi State University Police Department.
The Tupelo native first became interested in police work while attending East Central Community College in Decatur. He rode with a friend in the police force there, and began to get a feel for what the job was about.
After transferring to MSU, he decided to enter the regional police academy. There, he completed 400 hours of training to become a certified police officer in the state. Mullins also participated in a 12-week field-training program, where he learned how to apply his law enforcement academy training to a university environment.
Working 10-hour days, four days a week on the university's police force means Mullins must assume many different roles in just one day on the job. It's Mullins' skill in these roles that has earned him two separate awards in the short year and a half he's been on the force: the Support Staff of the Year Award and the Officer of the Year Award.
"I work to lead by example. I like helping people, and I don't want to treat anyone unfairly," he said.
In addition to working at MSU, Mullins also is a part-time student majoring in kinesiology. In his spare time, he enjoys exercising, being outdoors and spending time with his wife, whom he married in July.
Mullins tries to keep an upbeat attitude, regardless of what he faces each day.
"No matter how many hits you take, it's how you respond that makes you who you are," he said.