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October 19, 2004
*Letter to the Editor* The role of campus security
I feel it is important for me, as the director of Safety and Security, to respond to the Hamline University community concerning the safety issues raised in the article “Safety and Security refuses to help student” published the week of Oct. 4 in the Oracle online.
It is Hamline Safety and Security policy that security officers respond quickly to issues involving personal safety. In my reading of the article and comments, I feel that the role of a campus security organization and the nature of the response we provide needs clarification.
When a personal-safety issue arises, a campus security department’s responsibility is to ensure that correct actions are taken. A campus security organization is a service agency, not a law-enforcement department.
Some incidents are best handled by the police. Campus security would then support the victim and assist with the police investigation.
In an emergency or when a serious crime has just occurred, whether on or off campus, the best and safest course of action is for the victim or witness to call the police first. Do not delay police response by calling security first.
The ability and authority of a police officer is needed to respond to this type of situation. They can search on and off campus. They can make felony probable-cause arrests (security cannot), and they have the equipment required to act effectively. They can talk to the victim directly. When in doubt, call the police first. Your safety is important.
Once the police have been called, then contact campus security. If the incident occurs on the campus, Safety and Security will send an officer to act in a supporting role and assist the victim until the police arrive. We will work with the police to solve the crime to ensure campus safety. If the incident occurs off campus, we will receive information from the victim and offer our assistance and support.
Circumstances might require our presence at a serious incident near the campus. In such a case, we will send an officer. But our immediate response depends upon the nature of the incident, the support we are able to provide, and the distance from campus. I do not want to establish an artificial limit, because the exigency of the circumstances may require our presence regardless.
The role of a campus security organization is to respond to incidents on campus and make sure that the university community knows when and how to call the police.
In addition, we provide escorts within one mile of campus. (This should not be misconstrued to represent an area in which we provide an immediate security response.)
Shirleen Hoffman
Safety and Security Director
Posted by msveum at October 19, 2004 11:41 AM
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