UNSW’s Senior Security Manager leads a team dedicated to creating a safe, welcoming environment for students and staff.
Craig Leonard, Senior Security Manager in UNSW’s Protective Services, began working in retail after leaving school at 15, before briefly joining the army and then starting a tiling apprenticeship.
“I regretted leaving school early, but having your HSC wasn’t a big thing back then. I come from a policing family – my uncle was a police officer, and I was close to him growing up. I wanted to become police officer but had to go back to school to make that happen,” he said.
Craig pursued this path, attending TAFE at night while working as an apprentice during the day.
“I attended TAFE four nights a week, three to four hours a night. It was a big commitment at the time, but I realised that, when I applied myself to study, I was actually alright!”, he said.
By 1989, Craig was in the “force”, followed by his two brothers who joined within 15 months of each other.
Between them, the three brothers have contributed 65 years of service to the NSW community – 21 of those by Craig.
Policing in the toughest times
Craig worked mainly in general duties and spent three years as a domestic violence officer in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
“Working in general duties is very challenging. We had five trucks on every day, we responded to domestic violence incidents, assaults, stealing's, break-ins and malicious damage,” he said.
Craig also worked as a scene-of-crime officer in Bourke and as a bike police officer before deciding it was time for a change.
“I got sick of people being bad to each other. Everyone here at UNSW is so accommodating and nice. It’s a good environment to work in,” he said.
After leaving the force, Craig spent five years renovating nine houses in rural Australia, but he missed the camaraderie that comes with being part of a team. He moved into security, starting with a private contractor and eventually becoming regional manager of security for Amazon across Australia and New Zealand.
“We handled a bit of everything, supporting HR when they needed, controlling who came into the office buildings and IT center, monitoring high-tech turnstiles, IP protection, and we were constantly linked in with head office in Seattle,” Craig said.
Managing a campus like a small town
At UNSW, Craig manages the Security contract which has around 45 permanent guards and a large casual pool of around 90. His mornings start with check-ins across the Kensington campus, and going through incident reports from overnight. He and other members of the Security Management Team collaborate with teams across the University like Safer Communities, Psychology and Wellness, Student Experience, Arc, libraries and event teams for O-Week, Open Day and graduations, working hard to provide a safe learning and working environment for everyone.
“We’re not the fun sheriffs. We want everyone to have a good time, and enjoy the UNSW experience, but we also want everyone to be respectful,” he said.
“The population on campus is like a small town. You could have more than 20,000 students, staff and contractors on site on any given day.
“You have to think about everything that happens, like road closures and events, and plan safety with the same approach you would for a small town,” Craig said.
Craig’s policing background gives him a unique perspective on campus security. His job, he said, is “about making sure people feel safe without feeling policed.”
For Craig, UNSW is a refreshing change from the intensity of policing.
“It’s a good environment, and that makes all the difference,” he said.
Last year I moved closer to campus with my partner of four years, who is a school teacher in the eastern suburbs. I have a short walk to work each day, which is great.
What’s something that might surprise your colleagues?
I’m scared of spiders.
What’s the best advice you ever received?
Wait 24 before sending an email.
What makes you happy?
My daughter.
What day in your life would you like to relive?
The 1997 Grand Final win by Newcastle.
What’s the best thing you watched in the last year?
An American drama TV series called Landman.
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