![\"iamacc-Renearl-Bowie-5176c\"](\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2015\/04\/iamacc-Renearl-Bowie-5176c.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nRenEarl Bowie shares his “real-time” Department of Public Safety experience with criminal justice students.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
From his days patrolling Texas\u2019 highways as a state trooper, to his current role in charge of the Regulatory Services Division at the Texas Department of Public Safety, Assistant Director RenEarl Bowie has covered a lot of ground in law enforcement.<\/p>\n
As he has risen through the ranks at DPS, Bowie also has served as an adjunct professor of criminal justice<\/a> at Austin Community College, where he shares his experience with students preparing to enter law enforcement.<\/p>\n \u201cThey do value and appreciate that they\u2018re learning from someone who is doing it real-time,\u201d Bowie says of his students.<\/p>\n Bowie was first drawn to law enforcement during the police ride-alongs he went on as part of the Police Explorers youth program in Copperas Cove. The experience showed him that law enforcement was more than just \u201carresting bad guys and putting them away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the professionalism exhibited by the police officers. That\u2019s what really caught my eye,\u201d he says. \u201cEven under extreme pressure, they remained professional with people.\u201d<\/p>\n Are you ACC? Tell us your story<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Protecting people is the theme of Bowie\u2019s career. He was promoted from state trooper to the department\u2019s Criminal Intelligence Service, a unit charged with monitoring terrorism threats post-9\/11. Subsequent promotions placed him with DPS units that recruit troopers and regulate private security firms. His current division enforces the laws that keep Texans safe and healthy, from prescription drug regulation, to vehicle inspections, and even state Capitol access.<\/p>\n Bowie, who holds bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in criminal justice from Texas State University, advises individuals considering criminal justice careers to explore areas beyond law enforcement, such as corrections and juvenile justice, and to visit with professionals in the field.<\/p>\n Above all else, he says, they should be interested in working with people from all walks of life.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to interact with people from different backgrounds and treat people with dignity, which includes communicating with them effectively,\u201d he says, referring to the single most important skill needed for the job.<\/p>\n While Bowie has come a long way since starting out with the highway patrol in Winnie, Texas, the role of state trooper remains his favorite.<\/p>\n \u201cThat position by far is the most prestigious and most satisfying,\u201d he says. \u201cEven though it\u2019s entry level, it\u2019s probably the most challenging and most rewarding position in the agency.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From his days patrolling Texas\u2019 highways as a state trooper, to his current role in charge of the Regulatory Services Division at the Texas Department of Public Safety, Assistant Director RenEarl Bowie has covered a … Continue reading