Rochester NY May 16 2013 Beginning in October, 25 University of Rochester security officers will be on patrol as peace officers — authorized to carry batons and canisters of pepper foam as well as make arrests like police officers.
“It will give us the legal basis to take actions to better protect the campus community,” said Walter O. Mauldin, director of University Security.
But while their change in legal status permits them to carry firearms, they won’t be doing so.
Mauldin and the 25 officers are being trained as peace officers two days a week — for a total of 400 hours — at the Public Safety Training Facility on Scottsville Road.
The 25 officers designated as peace officers are part of UR’s Department of Security Services, which has a full-time staff of 123 officers.
In the fall, another 20 to 25 security officers will undergo similar training to be peace officers for UR.
This granting of additional powers grew out of recommendations made by an advisory Security Commission established in December 2010 and chaired by Ronald Paprocki, who is UR’s senior vice president for administration and finance.
The state law authorizing this change, approved late last year, permits these peace officers to carry a gun if they have an appropriate license.
“We don’t have any intentions of that,” said Paprocki.
Paprocki said that there has not been a significant increase in the number or severity of crimes on campus, but there has been an increase in the number of calls concerning tense situations.
In October 2010, UR’s Security Officers Association voted “no confidence” in Mauldin after injuries were suffered the month before by three security officers trying to stop fighting at a party on campus that turned rowdy.
Security officers can make citizen arrests if they witness criminal activity and they can conduct searches to protect university property, said Mauldin.
But as peace officers, they can make arrests and conduct searches like a police officer investigating a crime.
Both Paprocki and Mauldin said that peace officers can also make arrests in mental health cases, so security officers will no longer have to wait for police to arrive.
Security officers police the River Campus, the Medical Center, which includes Strong Memorial Hospital, the South Campus, Eastman School of Music and the Memorial Art Gallery. Officers are also assigned to patrol UR facilities in the Riverview and Brooks Landing areas as well as other UR properties.
UR’s campus statistics show that the largest number of possible crimes reported are for liquor law and drug abuse violations. In 2011 — the latest year UR’s statistics are available— there were 369 reports of liquor law violations, 133 reports of drug abuse violations, 13 reports of burglary and three reports of forcible sex offenses.
In January 2011, a UR student was fatally stabbed by another student at a fraternity party on the River campus. The student was charged with second-degree murder, but was found not guilty on grounds that he acted in self-defense.
Mauldin said that he is working out various agreements of understanding with local law enforcement agencies that will further define the responsibilities of the UR’s peace officers.
Source- Democrat and Chronicle
“It will give us the legal basis to take actions to better protect the campus community,” said Walter O. Mauldin, director of University Security.
But while their change in legal status permits them to carry firearms, they won’t be doing so.
Mauldin and the 25 officers are being trained as peace officers two days a week — for a total of 400 hours — at the Public Safety Training Facility on Scottsville Road.
The 25 officers designated as peace officers are part of UR’s Department of Security Services, which has a full-time staff of 123 officers.
In the fall, another 20 to 25 security officers will undergo similar training to be peace officers for UR.
This granting of additional powers grew out of recommendations made by an advisory Security Commission established in December 2010 and chaired by Ronald Paprocki, who is UR’s senior vice president for administration and finance.
The state law authorizing this change, approved late last year, permits these peace officers to carry a gun if they have an appropriate license.
“We don’t have any intentions of that,” said Paprocki.
Paprocki said that there has not been a significant increase in the number or severity of crimes on campus, but there has been an increase in the number of calls concerning tense situations.
In October 2010, UR’s Security Officers Association voted “no confidence” in Mauldin after injuries were suffered the month before by three security officers trying to stop fighting at a party on campus that turned rowdy.
Security officers can make citizen arrests if they witness criminal activity and they can conduct searches to protect university property, said Mauldin.
But as peace officers, they can make arrests and conduct searches like a police officer investigating a crime.
Both Paprocki and Mauldin said that peace officers can also make arrests in mental health cases, so security officers will no longer have to wait for police to arrive.
Security officers police the River Campus, the Medical Center, which includes Strong Memorial Hospital, the South Campus, Eastman School of Music and the Memorial Art Gallery. Officers are also assigned to patrol UR facilities in the Riverview and Brooks Landing areas as well as other UR properties.
UR’s campus statistics show that the largest number of possible crimes reported are for liquor law and drug abuse violations. In 2011 — the latest year UR’s statistics are available— there were 369 reports of liquor law violations, 133 reports of drug abuse violations, 13 reports of burglary and three reports of forcible sex offenses.
In January 2011, a UR student was fatally stabbed by another student at a fraternity party on the River campus. The student was charged with second-degree murder, but was found not guilty on grounds that he acted in self-defense.
Mauldin said that he is working out various agreements of understanding with local law enforcement agencies that will further define the responsibilities of the UR’s peace officers.
Source- Democrat and Chronicle