NCJ Number
83248
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 49 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1982) Pages: 38-51
Date Published
1982
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The three articles in this series on campus police and security describe the use of student employees by a university police department, ways of improving relations between campus and city police, and the experiences of a criminal justice educator working as a campus and town police officer.
Abstract
The administrator of the police department at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala. describes the ways it uses student/civilian employees as a cost-effective response to a shortage of full-time officers. Students man telephones and two-way radio communications on a 24-hour basis, perform clerical work, assist campus patrols, and help with security at special events. Many student employees are from the college of criminal justice and may work as part of an internship requirement. The program's effectiveness depends on careful selection processes, a clear chain of command, job descriptions, and quality supervision. Efforts to improve relations between the Bowling Green, Ohio police and the security department of Bowling Green State University are summarized by the heads of these agencies. In 1978, an existing mutual assistance agreement was revised, and the courts and county prosecutor's office established acceptable procedures regarding the authority of university police and handling of felony cases involving students on campus. Other mechanisms to enhance cooperation include shared training programs, radio communications, regular meetings between administrators, and shared preventive and investigative programs. In the final article, a university professor of criminal justice describes his work as a part-time officer in the Sam Houston State University Police Department and the Huntsville, Tex. police and the impact of these experiences on his attitudes toward police.