Charles Yearta, the newly appointed Chief of Police at Winthrop University Police Department (WUPD), has over 15 years of service and is eager to continue his efforts for the safety and well-being of his community and colleagues. He commenced his new position within the department on Sept 16th.
A native of Rockhill, Yearta holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology-criminal justice from Winthrop University and a master’s degree from University of North Carolina in criminal justice. Currently, he has decided to further his education by pursuing a Ph.D. Over the past 15 years, he has held a variety of positions and ranks throughout WUPD, initially starting off his career as an officer in 2008.
In a one-on-one interview, Yearta expresses his primary goal as the new Chief of Police.
“As far as the goals and what I want to accomplish, a lot of it is starting out rebuilding our department,” Yearta said. “What we’re trying to do right now is just strengthen our foundation with positions, but also with the community. Currently were doing a lot of outreaches heavy within certain areas that other people may not see. So, what we’re trying to do now is become more transparent and have better lines of communication with the campus community at large but focused a lot on our students so that they understand what our mission is, what we do here and what we’re trying to do.”
As a dedicated member of public service, Yearta also emphasized building a strong relationship with the campus community and the importance of teamwork within the department.
“I describe my position as being a captain of a ship. I set direction and make sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to do,” Yearta said. “But the people actually driving that boat who are putting in the man hour and the muscles work are the officers working within our parking enforcement, department’s communications, the vice president of Student Affairs, and the president of Winthrop University, all of them support us heavily in what we do and honestly we can’t do our job without them.”
Over the span of his career, Chief Yearta acknowledges some key people in his life who greatly influenced his success. “When I see Winthrop, I say family a lot, but that’s truly what it is because if it wasn’t for this school, I wouldn’t have met my wife. There’s a saying that behind, you know, some good person, there’s even a better spouse or whatever, significant other, and that’s very true in our relationship. I won the lottery on that one, and she has helped me overcome a lot.”
Yearta is well-known for showing initiative in the performance of his duties, even going above and beyond what is expected of him in order to ensure that Winthrop University’s community is safe and protected.
