Profile: Robert Miller

Perhaps you’ve seen him along Boylston Street, watching over the Emerson community. Or you’ve needed an escort from the Walker Building to the Common Garage after dark and this is the man who walked with you. Maybe you’ve called the Emerson College Police Department (ECPD) requesting assistance in some capacity and this man responded. This man is Officer Robert Miller of ECPD.

Miller recently celebrated his one-year anniversary here at Emerson. Since he joined the Emerson community, he’s been working the evening shift (Thursday–Monday, 3:00–11:00 pm). He spends most of his time patrolling campus from Boylston Street all the way to Hemenway. While patrolling, he will often pop into campus buildings to check in with security.

Miller said that many of the calls he receives while on duty are “medical in nature.” In these instances, he either assists in calling for an ambulance or transports the students himself. He also takes theft reports and helps to return lost items that are turned into ECPD to their owners. Working with Annelle Kallman (ECAPS) and the RAs, he has taught a few “Fatal Vision Glasses” classes to educate students about the effects of alcohol use.

In addition to working at Emerson, Miller is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at University of Massachusetts Lowell. He transferred to UMass Lowell from Bunker Hill Community College, where he earned an associate’s degree. After earning an associate’s degree, he attended the Reserve Police Academy, which is what led him to the job at Emerson.

Prior to coming to Emerson, he worked at an advertising company, assisting with its heavy glass work. He would travel all over Boston as a service technician, posting advertisements and posters. He has also worked as an armed security guard for federal buildings here in Boston and served in the National Guard for nine years. While in the National Guard, he served in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a Military Police Unit. Miller explained that “between the National Guard and the armed security job, I trained extensively in firearms, entry control, and security in general.”

Miller grew up in Western Massachusetts, but he’s lived in Quincy, Massachusetts, for the past seven years. Though he does not have any pets at the moment, he’s had cats his whole life. At one point in his life, he was sharing his home with three cats: a gray cat he inherited and named Coal, a kitten he rescued from an alleyway during a rainstorm, and a cat he adopted from a friend.

He and his wife are expecting their first child (a boy!) at the end of November.

When not at work or school, he enjoys playing Call of Duty as well as going paintballing.

When asked what his favorite part of his job is, Miller spoke of the opportunity he has to be out and about in the city. He enjoys interacting with people and encourages community members to stop and say hello when they see him patrolling the campus. “We’re here for [you],” he said.

Allison Boudreau (Iwasaki Library)