Shawn Varso has been answering the call to serve as a Youngstown State University police officer for 21 years.

The recently named chief of police has been acting chief for almost a year but his roots there run deeper.

Varso is a YSU graduate from the east side of Youngstown. He worked at the station before he graduated.

"A criminal justice degree and it was a minor in management actually," Varso explained.

Now he has his sights set on reaching out to students to see what issues they want addressed.  He said that past programs like coffee with an officer did not get a good response.

"What I want to do is actually go to the students now- go to their organizations, their events and that- and instead of waiting on them to come to us we're going to go to them," he described.

Next on his agenda is looking into a Citizens Police Academy to educate students, staff and the community about their role as police officers on campus.

"There's a preconception that we're security guards here at the university where we're actually fully commissioned police officers at YSU."

Officers who he wants people to see a little bit more often with stepped up patrols in buildings and parking lots.

Another priority for Varso is furthering the staff's education on best practices. Next week, officers will attend a symposium on sexual assault in Columbus.

New plans for the future now that the new chief has officially been chosen. He officially becomes the next chief of police May 1.