Excellence in Graduate Study Award Recipient Clifford Davis (MET’20) takes BU MET Lessons to Streets of Boston as Police Detective

What do you find most fascinating about the discipline of criminal justice? Do you have a particular focus within the broader field?
I find the impact I can make on individuals and their families the most fascinating part of criminal justice. I grew up in the city of Boston and have been dedicated to serving it for almost a decade. I spent my entire career in the areas I grew up in, which have a high density of minorities, and am now focusing on helping some of the most disenfranchised individuals in society. I’ve been fortunate enough to help young women exploited and threatened by gangs get out from underneath their control. I have helped parents bring their children back from the precipice of drugs and entanglement with the CJ system, and on at least one occasion almost lost my life doing what I believe is my calling.

Did you always intend on going back to school, or did the need arise at a particular moment?
I considered getting my master’s degree for some time. However, I kept putting it off due to my life being very busy. I was eventually driven to enter the BU program for a myriad of personal and professional reasons. One of the most influential, which was instrumental in my success, was to illustrate the importance of education to my five-year-old son. Through the example I set taking on this responsibility, sacrificing personal time, and giving my maximum effort, I paired action with my words.

Congratulations on your high achievement in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) program and your Award for Excellence in your studies! Looking back, what do you consider to be the main ingredients of your success?
The main ingredients would be: engagement, desire, and determination. The professors at Boston University consistently engaged with me in excellent conversations around criminal justice theory, practice, and approach. In particular, conversations with Professors Shea Cronin and Danielle Rousseau on these topics positively influenced my professional goals. Part of my success also rests on the tenet that if undertaking a venture is worth my time, then it is also worthy of me giving my best effort. Coupling this with an unflagging tenacity, and an intravenous influx of black coffee, I was fortunate to be successful in my undertakings at BU.

How were you able to successfully balance your studies with your commitments outside the classroom?
There were quite a few sleepless nights and seemingly endless days, absolutely. I believe my intense focus on my studies and the way in which I spoke earnestly about it professionally and personally played a role. Everyone around me understood how much my education meant to me and the level of support I received at the Boston Police Department from my peers, as well as at home with my best friend—a child with boundless energy—were critical to my task management. Also did I mention caffeine? Lots of caffeine, definitely!

How do you plan to apply the skills and competencies you gained during your studies moving forward? What is next in store for you?
The program at Boston University is a great blend of theoretical and practical knowledge. As such, I have been able to implement certain lessons almost immediately as a Boston Police detective after learning them in class. I plan on growing within my organization and putting myself in a position to help shape the future of policing in Boston.

You were recognized by faculty and peers for your hard work and dedication to the MSCJ program. What “words of advice” or encouragement have served as a guiding principle, or simply inspiration, for you?
My peers at Boston University made the program memorable and special. The discussions we engaged in were timely, informative, respectful, and cerebral. My classmates’ diverse personal/professional backgrounds, ages, and ethnicities consistently provided a wide range of thoughtful perspectives on the criminal justice system.

I am humbled and very appreciative of the recognition bestowed upon me. I mentioned previously that I grew up in the city of Boston and inspiration from my childhood still guides me today. My youthful years were strikingly similar to the young men and women I interact with today; periods of poverty, witness to violence, and feelings of helplessness. My inspiration came from my mother, a single parent raising three children while holding down two jobs and going back to school to become a surgical technician. The thought that you can’t do something is just that, a concept. Reality is that if you can imagine it, you can accomplish it through hard work, dedication, and belief in oneself.

Thank you to all members of the MET Master of Science in Criminal Justice Class of 2020; it was my privilege to attend BU with all of you!