243 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
243 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
|
July 1990
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
CAMPUS SECURITY:
|
|||
|
|
THE MULE PATROL
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
By
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
James A. Huff
|
|||
|
|
Director, Public Safety
|
|||
|
|
Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Rumors of rape being committed at Central Missouri State
|
|||
|
|
University in Warrensburg, Missouri, created tremendous public
|
|||
|
|
relations problems for the university. And, even though
|
|||
|
|
subsequent investigations proved these allegations to be false,
|
|||
|
|
the rumors could not be quelled.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
To counter the damaging effects, the Department of Public
|
|||
|
|
Safety initiated a series of public relations efforts. The
|
|||
|
|
department believed that meetings with the news media, the
|
|||
|
|
Neighborhood Watch Program, and crime prevention and rape
|
|||
|
|
awareness presentations would alleviate the problem.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Unfortunately, this was not the case. Despite all the
|
|||
|
|
public relations announcements and awareness presentations, the
|
|||
|
|
rumors prevailed and the university community wanted more.
|
|||
|
|
Students demanded that campus police patrol residence halls and
|
|||
|
|
parking lots more frequently. Faculty and staff members also
|
|||
|
|
made similar requests for academic and office buildings. But,
|
|||
|
|
because campus crime did not statistically increase in recent
|
|||
|
|
years, hiring additional officers could not be justified.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As a result, the administrative staff of the Department of
|
|||
|
|
Public Safety explored other alternatives. One viable option
|
|||
|
|
was to establish a student security patrol. A number of
|
|||
|
|
universities used student patrols to supplement their campus
|
|||
|
|
police forces with positive results. However, before initiating
|
|||
|
|
such a program at the university, several areas needed to be
|
|||
|
|
addressed:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. How would the security patrol be funded?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. What name would be given to the patrol?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. How would the student employees be identified as members
|
|||
|
|
of a student security force?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. What would their responsibilities be?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. How many students would be hired, and what would be their
|
|||
|
|
qualifications?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
These questions needed to be answered before any further
|
|||
|
|
planning could continue.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Funding
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In 1985 the Director of Public Safety received permission to
|
|||
|
|
implement a student security force to assist the campus police,
|
|||
|
|
with one provision. Because of fiscal constraints, no State
|
|||
|
|
funding could be used in support of the project. Funding would
|
|||
|
|
have to come from other sources within the university, especially
|
|||
|
|
those operating within the auxiliary budget.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One main area of the university that needed additional
|
|||
|
|
security was the 60 campus parking lots, in view of the recent
|
|||
|
|
increase of vandalism and theft from vehicles, especially at
|
|||
|
|
night. Therefore, funding for 50 percent of the student security
|
|||
|
|
force came from the parking lot operation, which is a budgeted
|
|||
|
|
auxiliary service.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Department of Residential Life, which has
|
|||
|
|
responsibility for all residence halls, is also an auxiliary
|
|||
|
|
enterprise. And, because the students requested more foot
|
|||
|
|
patrols within the residence halls, funding from this source was
|
|||
|
|
also targeted. After realizing the benefits an added sense of
|
|||
|
|
security would project to the students living on campus, the
|
|||
|
|
Director of Residential Life agreed to fund the remaining 50
|
|||
|
|
percent of the student security force. The biggest hurdle,
|
|||
|
|
funding, had just been cleared.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
What's in a Name
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Choosing a name for the student security force was the next
|
|||
|
|
consideration. The name selected had to be one that would lend
|
|||
|
|
an esprit de corps. After much deliberation, the student
|
|||
|
|
security force was named the Mule Patrol, since the university's
|
|||
|
|
mascot is the mule.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Identification
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The university believed that it was important for Mule
|
|||
|
|
Patrol officers to wear uniforms, but the uniform had to be
|
|||
|
|
easily distinguishable from the navy blue uniform of the
|
|||
|
|
university police. The uniform selected for the Mule Patrol
|
|||
|
|
consists of a white shirt, black pants, and a baseball-type hat.
|
|||
|
|
Sewn on the shirt is the Mule Patrol patch.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Responsibilities of the Mule Patrol
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One critical question was, ``What would be the job
|
|||
|
|
responsibilities of the Mule Patrol?'' To arrive at an answer,
|
|||
|
|
university administrators asked various campus groups what
|
|||
|
|
security measures they would like to see implemented. The
|
|||
|
|
feedback revealed that high visibility on campus was the primary
|
|||
|
|
concern.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
To define more specific responsibilities of the Mule Patrol,
|
|||
|
|
coordinators interviewed the student patrol force of another
|
|||
|
|
university campus. This student patrol force operated
|
|||
|
|
successfully for several years. However, what works well for one
|
|||
|
|
campus may not work at all for another. Fortunately, this was
|
|||
|
|
not the case. Many of the concepts and ideas of the veteran
|
|||
|
|
student patrol force were incorporated into the Mule Patrol.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The job responsibilities and regulations for the Mule Patrol
|
|||
|
|
were defined and implemented. Specifically, Mule Patrol
|
|||
|
|
officers:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. Do not carry weapons of any type
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. Have no arrest powers. Their primary function is to observe
|
|||
|
|
and report
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. Cannot leave their assigned patrol area without permission
|
|||
|
|
of their supervisor
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. Are under the direction of the Department of Public Safety
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. Must be courteous and professional at all times, especially
|
|||
|
|
with the public
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
. Must render assistance to everyone to the best of their
|
|||
|
|
ability
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Mule Patrol officers are expected to adhere to higher standards
|
|||
|
|
as compared to other student employee positions on the campus.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Selection Process
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
To begin, the university set specific qualifications for
|
|||
|
|
Mule Patrol officers. First, the student must be enrolled at
|
|||
|
|
the university and have completed at least 30 hours with a
|
|||
|
|
minimum grade point average of 2.3. Also, a criminal justice
|
|||
|
|
major was not a prerequisite. And, although not a requirement
|
|||
|
|
for the position, the Department of Public Safety preferred to
|
|||
|
|
hire students who demonstrated active involvement in college
|
|||
|
|
life, such as members of activity groups or residence hall
|
|||
|
|
councils.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
After meeting the necessary qualifications, the student
|
|||
|
|
then appears before an oral selection committee composed of
|
|||
|
|
students, faculty and staff. This allows the committee to
|
|||
|
|
determine an applicant's views about the position. It also
|
|||
|
|
provides insight into the applicant's personality, community
|
|||
|
|
service commitment and attitudes about the university and the
|
|||
|
|
public safety department. After the oral selection process, a
|
|||
|
|
background investigation is conducted on each applicant to assure
|
|||
|
|
that the applicant has not been involved in any illegal activity.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On Patrol
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Mule Patrol can be described as students protecting
|
|||
|
|
students. They patrol the academic buildings, residence halls
|
|||
|
|
and parking lots and report any suspicious or criminal activity
|
|||
|
|
that they witness. Their equipment consists of a flashlight and
|
|||
|
|
a two-way portable radio, which allows them to talk on the
|
|||
|
|
police frequency to the dispatcher, campus police patrol
|
|||
|
|
vehicles, and city police patrol vehicles. There are four Mule
|
|||
|
|
Patrol officers on duty each night when the university is in
|
|||
|
|
session.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Mule Patrol officers are assigned to one of four zones when
|
|||
|
|
they report for duty. Within each zone are specific buildings,
|
|||
|
|
parking lots, and athletic areas that they are required to
|
|||
|
|
patrol. If a particular area within the zones has a specific
|
|||
|
|
security problem, this information is noted at the beginning of
|
|||
|
|
each shift and relayed to the Mule Patrol officer assigned to
|
|||
|
|
that zone at the beginning of the following shift. Mule Patrol
|
|||
|
|
officers are also required to report any safety-related problems
|
|||
|
|
that they may encounter, such as hazardous materials improperly
|
|||
|
|
secured or stored and inoperative fire alarm systems or fire
|
|||
|
|
extinguishers. Mule Patrol officers also provide crowd control
|
|||
|
|
and security at concerts and major athletic events. Many times,
|
|||
|
|
they team up with police officers. Future plans are being made
|
|||
|
|
to have them assist in the dispatch centers as back-up
|
|||
|
|
dispatchers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Mule Patrol officers do not write parking tickets or perform
|
|||
|
|
other such negative duties. The department believes that if the
|
|||
|
|
Mule Patrol officers are not given any negative responsibilities,
|
|||
|
|
the student body and the university community would view the
|
|||
|
|
project in a more positive light, an assumption proven to be
|
|||
|
|
correct.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Project's Expectations
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Mule Patrol project has been in place for a little more
|
|||
|
|
than 3 years and has met and even exceeded the department's
|
|||
|
|
expectations. Within the first few months, the rumors of rapes
|
|||
|
|
on campus were virtually eliminated. The entire campus community
|
|||
|
|
soon realized that there were people patrolling the campus on
|
|||
|
|
foot each night.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Mule Patrol has also been instrumental in apprehending
|
|||
|
|
several automobile thieves who were working university parking
|
|||
|
|
lots. The Patrol has also gathered information that helped to
|
|||
|
|
solve a variety of crimes, such as burglaries, larcenies, and
|
|||
|
|
drug cases. The Department of Public Safety has also used Mule
|
|||
|
|
Patrol personnel on surveillance exercises, especially in parking
|
|||
|
|
lots, with excellent results. Mule Patrol officers also serve as
|
|||
|
|
excellent ambassadors for the department in its recruiting
|
|||
|
|
efforts for various positions. These procedures have reduced the
|
|||
|
|
amount of overtime required for police officers and, thus, have
|
|||
|
|
saved the university money and reduced officer burnout.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Currently, project expansion is under way because the Mule
|
|||
|
|
Patrol program has been so successful and beneficial. The
|
|||
|
|
university now realizes that a student security force acts as
|
|||
|
|
additional eyes and ears to the regular university police force.
|
|||
|
|
In fact, during the past academic year, the number of Mule Patrol
|
|||
|
|
officers increased from 12 to 16.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Conclusion
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thorough planning and positive supervision have contributed
|
|||
|
|
to the success of the Mule Patrol. However, student security
|
|||
|
|
officers must know the importance of their jobs to the academic
|
|||
|
|
community, and that they are a vital part of a team. After all,
|
|||
|
|
they are not only representing the university and the Department
|
|||
|
|
of Public Safety, but most importantly, they are representing
|
|||
|
|
themselves.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The positive aspects of the Mule Patrol are clearly
|
|||
|
|
evident. The rumors of rapes on campus have been eliminated,
|
|||
|
|
and the campus community now enjoys a heightened sense of
|
|||
|
|
security. The Mule Patrol officers have become more personally
|
|||
|
|
involved and more serious about their responsibilities to the
|
|||
|
|
campus community. But, the most positive byproduct of the Mule
|
|||
|
|
Patrol program is that students are protecting students.
|
|||
|
|
|