With 11 commissioned officers who have the power to stop, question or arrest suspicious persons, the Department of Public Safety will be more efficient this year, Director of DPS Tom Fitzpatrick said, even though most students will not notice any difference.
He said his commissioned officers have not changed any of their standard operating procedures since they’ve gained more authority on campus, and will not become more aggressive in the future.
“It has not changed our approach,” he said. “We’ll simply proceed as we always have.”
In fact, Fitzpatrick said during a “relatively quiet summer,” his officers have not had to resort to using any of their new powers gained through commissioning and still request EPD assistance in dealing with any serious incidents.
For the upcoming school year, Fitzpatrick said DPS will continue to carry out its normal duties and officers will patrol residence halls on a requested and scheduled basis.
When officers were first commissioned last spring, some on campus criticized the need for DPS officers with expanded powers. Those who questioned the commissioning included last year’s ASUO Executive officers.
But current ASUO President Nilda Brooklyn said she is working with DPS to improve relations between the department and students, and also place students on a new DPS advisory committee that she said her administration views as a good start toward achieving that goal.
Even though Brooklyn said she would prefer to the see the committee have somewhat more autonomy in dealing with DPS she said it could serve as a tool to bridge a “pretty large gap between how DPS perceive themselves on campus and [how] students perceive them.”
Fitzpatrick said he hopes the group will provide a means for those in the campus community to deal with issues they may have with DPS.
“For expressing concerns of the campus community … [students] might be more willing to go to a group,” he said.
One DPS officer has left to serve in the Portland police department, but Fitzpatrick said his department is fully staffed and ready for the school year.
Sgt. Rob Olson with EPD said there will be the same number of officers working the campus beat as in previous years. He said the four officers and one sergeant will continue to actively patrol the campus and also follow up on reports of crimes in the area.
He said these cases “run the gamut from property crimes to both felony and misdemeanor personal crimes.”
In regards to DPS commissioning several of its officers, Olson said that it “certainly has expanded their authority” but added he has not been aware of any officer actually using their new powers.
While even though Olson said “he didn’t see any change” with DPS officers and their handling of campus situations, he did say that it has been “beneficial for both them and us.”
The EPD will continue to handle most serious cases on campus, Olson said, and added there is no friction between the two.
“The two departments are working together fine,” he said.
Commissioned officers mean little change for DPS
Daily Emerald
September 16, 2001
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