NCJ Number
173004
Journal
Campus Law Enforcement Journal Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 1996 Pages: 17-22
Date Published
1996
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This second in a series of three related article on a multi- method study of campus safety at a 4-year college describes how Public Safety officers and students view themselves and their relationships with one another, followed by recommendations for improving officers' interactions with students and other campus citizens, as well as the public image of the Office of Campus Safety.
Abstract
A group of undergraduate women and one professor distributed surveys to a sample of students that represented the diversity of students on the campus, conducted interviews with another sample of students, and interviewed six Public Safety officers, including the sole female officers. Officers were found to be frustrated with their jobs but performed in an exemplary fashion in general, despite too little staff and poor funding. Students gave Public Safety officers glowing reviews for assisting them during medical emergencies, but were more critical of the Escort Service and a few officers' responses to their complaints of victimization. Young men, especially young men of color, were particularly mistrustful of officers and the Public Safety Office. The need for additional human-relations training for officers and dispatchers was indicated. Both survey and interview participants strongly supported the need for additional services and staff for the Office of Public Safety. There was support for training officers to be more sensitive to the needs of an increasingly diverse campus community. 15 references