If you ask Specialist Associate Ignatius Shepherdson of NUS Campus Security to describe a typical day at work, he would say that it’s never a dull day when it comes to protecting the safety of the NUS community. He joined NUS in 2005, after more than 27 years in the Singapore Police Force.
And the “exciting” moments are often unexpected. Ignatius recounted that he had to conduct intensive crowd control during the limited-period Hello Kitty giveaway at McDonald’s over at NUS Engineering. Who would have guessed that members of the public would form a snaking queue and camp at the outlet just to grab a plush toy?
For Ignatius, being able to support someone in need keeps him going. “I feel good whenever I help someone recover their possessions – you feel like you’ve made a positive connection,” he quipped. A student had frantically appealed for his help as he had misplaced his wallet in a laboratory. When the wallet was eventually recovered, the student was so grateful that he offered to be a student volunteer with NUS Campus Security. “People like to feel that they can give back. Or maybe some people are inspired to play detective for a day,” said Ignatius with a wide grin.
Sometimes, people can lose things a whole lot larger than their wallets. Ignatius shared another anecdote when a faculty member from NUS Arts and Social Sciences sought his help to look for a “lost” car. He said his friend had visited him at his office, and then forgot where he had parked his car. The driver eventually found his car, safely parked at Car Park 10, at NUS Science. Now that’s a good half an hour walk from one faculty to the other, after parking. The car owner was somewhat sheepish, according to Ignatius. “I parked, I walked, and then I forgot.”
The nicest thing about Ignatius’ day at work is that he gets to meet different people and work on different assignments every day. He hops onto the security buggy, and goes about carrying out his duties, attending to the various requests. So if you spot him on campus someday, say “Hi” and give him a friendly wave. He may share another untold story with you.