EPM Program Enhances Police Lieutenant’s Knowledge

“I was only about 30 feet away when I saw him pull a shotgun out of a bag,” Sean’te Warren remembers. “At that moment, I sent the order to go in.”

As an undercover narcotics officer for the Philadelphia Police Department, it was just another day for Sean’te.

With 14 years of public service under his belt, Sean’te retains the rank of police lieutenant for the Philadelphia Highway Patrol, where he manages a platoon of highway patrol officers, supervises police sergeants and conducts administrative functions for the unit.

Although he regularly interacts with criminals in high-crime areas, one of his main duties is to police high-profile events and to plan police escorts for visiting dignitaries. He sheepishly laughs when he recounts how he missed covering the Eagles Parade due to foot surgery. Nevertheless, he still had an opportunity to hold the Super Bowl trophy!

His impressive background and experiences in the Philadelphia Police Department have prepared Sean’te to excel at Immaculata as he pursues a degree in Emergency Planning and Management (EPM).

On the flip side, his newly acquired education is teaching him skills that apply to his day-to-day assignments. He now fully appreciates the extreme importance of working with all agencies during an event, natural disaster or an act of terrorism. In his EPM classes, he said students learn how to coordinate with other agencies and the role each plays in carrying out a smooth, safe event.

Sean’te credits his mom, who is also a police officer, for helping him make the decision to enter the police force. He spent seven months in the police academy as a recruit before being sworn in and receiving his certification.

He explains that policing is not a job suited for everyone. “It’s been rewarding for me, being able to help others in a very profound way, but you have to be mentally tough.” With his ultimate career goal of becoming police commissioner, Sean’te knew he would need a well-rounded education and decided to research local colleges.

After attending a college fair at the Police Training Center, Sean’te met with recruiters and counselors from Immaculata’s College of Adult Professional Studies and decided to visit campus.

“From day one, I’ve always felt welcome to be here,” he says. Although he does not have many excuses to come to campus because he takes classes online, he appreciates the warm, peaceful feeling of campus.

As a working adult with a busy schedule, the online classes work better for Sean’te. However, he still learned to take advantage of all the resources available. A broad smile comes across his face when he admits, “Yup, I finally had to utilize the Writing Center for my English research writing class.”

When Sean’te is not busy working or completing class assignments, he is hitting the gym for strength training or a cardio session. He also enjoys a change of scenery and travels often. Past trips include visiting Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Mexico, and he plans on heading to Miami, Fla. shortly.

One thing that he does not spend his time doing is watching police TV shows. “None of them are realistic,” he says adamantly. “I’ll be watching a cop drama and yelling at the television, ‘You don’t have to read him his rights if he’s not being interrogated!’” Sean’te says, shaking his head from the absurdity of it all.

If anyone knows what life is like as a big-city police officer, Sean’te would be that person. Philadelphia has the fourth largest police department in the U.S. Believe him—it’s not like what you see on the screen.