Chris Enos has been a familiar presence at Washburn University for two decades. He joined the Washburn University Police Department in 2005 and has served as chief of police since 2016, but his path into law enforcement started long before that.
Enos grew up in Laramie, Wyoming, before his family moved to Kansas when he was in sixth grade. After living in a small town with 800 people and later moving to Emporia, he began taking steps toward a career in law enforcement, working at the Lyon County Jail before starting patrol in 2000. Five years later, he moved to Washburn.
“I think I always considered [law enforcement],” Enos said. “My dad was a university police officer when I was growing up, so probably back then I thought about it. As I got closer to high school, I got more serious about looking at law enforcement.”
Now, as a chief, no two days look the same for him. Some days are filled with meetings and administrative work, others involve being out in the field responding to incidents or giving presentations about campus safety.
“Every day is very different for me,” Enos said. “There’s really no coming in at eight and leaving at five. That’s one of the things I like about my work. It’s never the same thing day to day.”
A large part of his job, Enos said, is focused on keeping the campus community safe and informed. He believes many students misunderstand what puts them at the greatest risk.
“I think people have this concern about being victimized by others,” Enos said. “But most of the time when we see people jeopardize their safety, it’s because they put themselves in a dangerous situation: drinking, doing drugs, driving dangerously. Their personal safety is dictated by them a lot of times.”
Enos added that accidents are the leading cause of death among college-age students, which is why the department emphasizes awareness and smart decision-making.
Enos also recognizes that students may find him and law enforcement in general, intimidating at first.
“I think so and I hope I can break those barriers down and become somebody that’s easy to talk to,” Enos said. “Once they get to know me, a lot of times they do find me approachable. That’s why I love going out and talking to students and student groups. It’s a lot of fun.”
Part of that outreach includes showing students what policing actually looks like. The department uses the Milo simulator, a training system that places participants in realistic, projected scenarios similar to a video game environment, but with real-world consequences.
“It’s great for teaching de-escalation and giving officers a chance to practice in a controlled environment,” Enos said. “But it’s also good for students and community members to experience what it’s like to respond to calls and try to keep everyone safe.”
Colleagues describe Enos as a detail-oriented leader who prioritizes his team.
“He’s a great leader. He’s very detail oriented and very caring and he always makes sure that his officers are taken care of,” said Abdou Gaye, university police officer. “He makes sure that we get the equipment that we need to do our job.”
Others pointed to the more personal side of Enos’ leadership.
“If you have other personal things going on outside of work, he’ll check on you,” said Jordan Fiegener, university police officer. “[He] makes sure that we [are] just one big family.”
Outside of work, Enos describes himself as a technology enthusiast. He enjoys biking, video games, computers and “anything with tech,” from drones to new gadgets. He also values spending time with his wife and family and traveling when he gets the chance.
One of his favorite parts of working at Washburn, Enos said, is meeting people from all over the world.
“In higher education, we get to interact with people from everywhere and that’s really cool,” Enos said. “I don’t get to travel as much as I’d like, but I get to meet people who come here and that’s awesome.”
After nearly 20 years at Washburn, Enos continues to focus on campus safety, student outreach and helping the community better understand what law enforcement does on a daily basis.
Edited by Anushma Dahal and Bidhya Sapkota
