The Department of Public Safety is undergoing an independent operations review by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, the results of which are expected in July.
Although the last time DPS had a similar review was 1999, the assessment is a “fairly common process,” said Brian Smith, assistant vice president for administration.
“The catalyst was to look at making the department stronger and more efficient,” Smith said. “It was a self-directed survey. We asked IACLEA to perform this assessment for us.”
After five years of temporary directors, the department now has a permanent director, Kevin Williams, a former Los Angeles police officer and division commander with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. Williams’ arrival at the University is one of the reasons administrators wanted to do the review, Smith said.
But DPS is also looking to renew itself after a troubled past. In 2005, the department faced significant accounting errors that lost track of thousands of dollars. It dealt with a parking employee who was stealing from the meters in 2006 and an exodus of veteran officers following a lawsuit against DPS in 2000.
It has also had difficulty getting adequate training for campus safety officers, as reported in the Emerald late last month.
The review was conducted May 12 and 13 by three current and former police directors at other universities: O.J. Clark, retired chief of police at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Steven Healy, chief of police at Princeton University; and John King, senior director of environmental and public safety at Tufts University in Massachusetts.
The officers interviewed roughly three dozen students, administrators and members of the Eugene Police Department.
The review analyzes 21 different points, including budgeting, record keeping and enforcement.
The review had been scheduled since earlier this year, Smith said. The University pays to be a member of IACLEA, which provides the assessment for $12,000 or less. IACLEA is also responsible for accrediting campus safety departments; however, DPS is not accredited.
“I think it’s always helpful to have outside sets of eyes review your operation to recommend ways in which you can improve,” Smith said.
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