NCJ Number
80660
Journal
Security World Volume: 18 Issue: 8 Dated: (August 1981) Pages: 30-38,40-43
Date Published
1981
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The hybrid campus security system of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the student patrol program at the University of Houston are described.
Abstract
UCLA's Community Safety Department employs about 210 persons, a mix of State police officers, students, private security personnel, parking enforcement officers, environmental health and safety personnel, and radiation safety specialists. The combining of professionals and paraprofessionals into one department under a single head provides a force of safety personnel who can complement one another. The employees are coordinated through a central command center located in the department headquarters. The 52 campus State police officers are the backbone of the department. They are authorized to enforce State laws and are trained as emergency medical technicians, training just one step lower than that received by paramedics. About 100 students form the corps of community service officers. These students perform duties that free police and security officers to perform critical duties requiring specialized training. At the University of Houston City Campus, a force of 20 students augments the university's regular security staff of 42. Students supplement security efforts on the campus by manning surveillance posts atop buildings, walking foot patrols, or patrolling the campus in an electric vehicle. Students are instructed not to contact suspicious persons or those observed committing offenses, but rather to radio for an armed member of the security staff to respond to the situation. Statistics before and after the establishment of the student patrol indicate that all types of thefts have dropped significantly since the institution of the patrol. Graphic and tabular data on crimes at the Houston campus for 1979 and 1980 are provided.