Former Plainsboro Police Chief Elizabeth Bondurant has taken on a new assignment as a professor at Mercer County Community College. She finds her new role as a professor of criminal justice to encompass “all of the positive and none of the negative” aspects of her former career in policing. She notes that her best moments as a police administrator were spent mentoring others.
Bondurant, who served 25 years on the Plainsboro police force until her retirement in 2009, was an adjunct instructor at Mercer for 13 years before joining the faculty full time. She has found that life in the classroom suits her. Mentoring students is a particular joy — and a valuable part of their education.
“I require students to have a five-year plan,” Bondurant says. “I want to shed light on whether their goals are realistic and achievable and where they need to go from here.”
Bondurant enlivens classroom discussions with comic touches as well as real world experiences from her time on the force in Plainsboro. She also shares her professional background with students from day one. “I do that for two reasons. As a woman teaching criminal justice, it establishes my credibility and expertise,” she says. “As a retired police chief who started out as a patrol officer, it lets students know it is possible to rise through the ranks. That’s especially encouraging for women in a male-dominated field.”
In preparing her students for the demanding role of police officer, Bondurant strives to get them to think — not to rely solely on what they have read in textbooks, but to use common sense approaches that will work. “In some situations, you just have to know how to calm things down and not allow them to escalate,” she says. “The greatest asset for a police officer is being a strong communicator. Good relations with the community are essential to good policing.”
Bondurant also encourages students to build resumes that include community service and employment in related fields. “It’s very helpful in the hiring process,” she says. Activities like volunteering as a youth mentor, serving as a paramedic, or coaching a youth sport speak volumes to the kind of police officer they will be.
While some towns require only police academy training for hiring, the field has become increasingly competitive, according to Bondurant. “Municipalities vary greatly. Some departments require an associate degree; some want a bachelor’s degree,” she says. “You definitely need a degree to be considered for promotions. We talk about all of that.”
Bondurant herself has prepared well throughout her career. After earning her undergraduate degree in physical education from East Stroudsburg University, she completed her master’s degree in police administration from Jersey City University in 1990 and attended the FBI Academy in 2000, an 11-week program focused on executive management training. Herclasses at Mercer — Intro to Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Police Administration — reflect her broad background. She also teaches courses online. Bondurant is a longtime resident of Plainsboro.
Mercer’s criminal justice program is its fourth largest and enrollment has doubled since 2003. Close to 500 students major in either law enforcement or corrections. The program’s adjunct instructors are from the corrections field, current or retired officers, and prosecution and defense lawyers.
“It’s a very dynamic field. The landscape is always changing. We do a lot to keep the curriculum current,” Bondurant says. Pointing to car searches as an example, she notes, “Court cases change the way things can be done. Our students need to know any changes in procedures.”
Bondurant serves as co-advisor of the Criminal Justice Club with activities including ride-alongs with area police departments and a variety of outings at Eastern State Prison in Rahway, the Franklin Institute’s CSI display in Philadelphia, and a firearms range. A trip to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City is planned for this spring.
