Pittsburgh Police Commander and Chief of Staff Earns Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration Alumni Profile
Meet Eric Holmes
- Job Title & Employer
- Commander and Chief of Staff, City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police
- Major/Program
- Criminal Justice Administration-M.S.
- Graduation
- August 2018
- Scholarships
- City of Pittsburgh employee tuition discount
- Hometown
- Penn Hills, Pa.
- High School
- Penn Hills High School
- Now Living In
- Westwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh
- Hobbies & Interests
- Traveling and collecting presidential memorabilia
"I selected Eric for his position because of his past work experiences, excellent organizational skills and his unwavering commitment to professionalism, fairness and community policing. As a Point Park alumnus, I truly value the real-world, real-time education and student/professor engagement that the University provides to its criminal justice students. I believe that the cohort experience with its ongoing open dialogue will help make Eric a well-rounded leader and guide how he views various issues. It will also help him develop strategies to improve law enforcement practices on many levels."
"I have been able to use the knowledge that I gained attending Point Park University in every aspect of my professional career from policy and organizational administration to ethics and economics. Each subject was timely and relevant to my daily job duties of being a member of the command staff with the Pittsburgh Police."
Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Science degree in criminal justice administration from Point Park?
I would like to teach criminal justice at some point. Getting an advanced degree in criminal justice administration will help me achieve that goal by allowing me to merge my practical law enforcement career experiences with my academic studies. I also enjoy being a lifelong learner.
In what ways have you incorporated what you learned at Point Park into your role as police commander?
I have been able to use the knowledge that I gained attending Point Park University in every aspect of my professional career from policy and organizational administration to ethics and economics. Each subject was timely and relevant to my daily job duties of being a member of the command staff with the Pittsburgh Police.
How have our criminal justice professors impacted you?
The professors impacted me with their knowledge, care, compassion and the desire to push me to achieve my best. They also inspired me to want to teach criminal justice.
What are your favorite Point Park memories?
I enjoyed our classroom discussions about the topics in the books we read and discussing current law enforcement criminal justice issues. Also, another favorite memory is presenting my capstone research project on the topic “The National Initiative: A Bridge to 21st Century Policing in Pittsburgh” at the Criminal Justice Administration Graduate Symposium.
What advice do you have for law enforcement professionals considering a master’s degree?
I say go for it. You have the practical knowledge in the field. Now it is time to further your education by completing in-depth research, writing papers and learning at Point Park University from the best that the criminal justice studies field has to offer.
More About: alumni, Downtown Pittsburgh, Penn Hills High School, School of Arts and Sciences, graduate programs, M.S. in criminal justice administration