Ok, surprisingly. Facilities services? Not so much. Evidently volleyball is a gateway sport that might lead to people doing things. Like playing frisbee. Horrors.
They come very quickly when I've locked myself out of my office. Very polite. But when one of them shows up at my classroom and asks to talk to a student, I feel like yelling "RUN! IT'S THE MAN!"
Our public safety folks are invisible to most, but they are around when there's trouble and seem to do a good job. We had a problem with a student (a REAL nut case) and got some support for that; I also know they help with stalking situations.
However, given the urban campus, there is not enough of a presence (and there is a fear of crime, particularly at night). The police ride around in cars, but most of the school is on a mall type of setting; they really need to walk around more and save the gasoline $$$.
I love our campus safety officers. They have always been very polite and helpful. Sometimes, I think faculty (including myself) should take lessons from our campus police on not taking shit from students. They're a real no-nonsense bunch.
I should add that, having worked in a support position in my previous work-life, I have found that it's appreciated if you treat the staff as fellow employees and not as your personal help....
I probably don't think of them with the respect they deserve, because unfortunately I'm aware of their actual powers in a "real" situation, which would something like "Stop what you are doing, or I will ask you again to stop!" or "Stay where you are while we call the police, or run away if you want to do that instead, as we can't actually lay hands on you." Which is strange, as another university in the city has university police with "real" police powers to deal with everything that goes down within their jurisdiction.
I get along with them, but they don't like me a whole lot, and the relationship is tense. Could be because I'm on the hearing board and challenge their procedures when going after students. Could be that I research student attitudes about campus police. The police chief actually tried to hunt me down on campus last year because he found out about the study!
I used to work in our campus library at my Beknighted Doctoral Institution. It's a public uni, and consequently it is...um...open to the public. And do you know who the public is? It's guys who look at pornography A LOT on public machines. It's also the guys who flash gals, guys, ancient volumes of Harper's Bazaar... in the basement stacks.
I was very thankful for them when I had to call them. I was intrigued by the commenter who noted that the police at his/her school have no real "powers." Ours have guns had guns and stuff.
Blackdog, yup, our campus police have no guns or weapons of any sort etc, while the other university has police with guns, pepper spray, tasers, billy club etc., you name it. While our campus police has cruisers, kevlar vests, walkie talkies etc, their impotence was exposed a few years ago by a well-publicized incident where a student was confronted by a mugger, a fight ensued which wound up as a wrestling match on the ground, the campus police arrived on the scene and from a distance of several feet proceeded to shout for everyone to stop fighting, without actually stepping in and physically stopping the fight. It ended up being a prolonged affair, during which the student was confused by the sight of 2 campus police just standing there and watching.
Prof Poopiehead, if your fuzz will not engage physically in fights then they are unarmed security, and not "real" campus police. Most security guards in the US are unarmed and all they can do is observe and report, along with the same citizens' arrest powers you have. Even unarmed police forces will tackle or shove aside two people fighting.
Pretty good now that I understand what they mean by providing an "escort service". Let me tell you, awkward doesn't even come close.
ReplyDeleteOk, surprisingly. Facilities services? Not so much. Evidently volleyball is a gateway sport that might lead to people doing things. Like playing frisbee. Horrors.
ReplyDeleteGood usually, until they threaten to arrest my students for trespassing. Some students really *do* practically live in the lab.
ReplyDeleteThey come very quickly when I've locked myself out of my office. Very polite. But when one of them shows up at my classroom and asks to talk to a student, I feel like yelling "RUN! IT'S THE MAN!"
ReplyDeleteI flash my old KGB ID to the parking officer and he/she rips up the ticket. Afraid of my old hands in Latvia with the dogs in the "fun basement."
ReplyDeleteEven without a USSR, Soviet power exists.
We don't have any.
ReplyDeleteI teach at a CC, not a uni. I couldn't do my job without our public safety folks.
ReplyDeleteOur public safety folks are invisible to most, but they are around when there's trouble and seem to do a good job. We had a problem with a student (a REAL nut case) and got some support for that; I also know they help with stalking situations.
ReplyDeleteHowever, given the urban campus, there is not enough of a presence (and there is a fear of crime, particularly at night). The police ride around in cars, but most of the school is on a mall type of setting; they really need to walk around more and save the gasoline $$$.
Fuck tha police!
ReplyDeleteI love our campus safety officers. They have always been very polite and helpful. Sometimes, I think faculty (including myself) should take lessons from our campus police on not taking shit from students. They're a real no-nonsense bunch.
ReplyDeleteWe have several that even a retired professor with a walker could outrun, but everyone I've dealt with has been polite, professional and helpful.
ReplyDeleteI should add that, having worked in a support position in my previous work-life, I have found that it's appreciated if you treat the staff as fellow employees and not as your personal help....
ReplyDeleteyou mean the MPs?
ReplyDeleteyeah.
I probably don't think of them with the respect they deserve, because unfortunately I'm aware of their actual powers in a "real" situation, which would something like "Stop what you are doing, or I will ask you again to stop!" or "Stay where you are while we call the police, or run away if you want to do that instead, as we can't actually lay hands on you." Which is strange, as another university in the city has university police with "real" police powers to deal with everything that goes down within their jurisdiction.
ReplyDeleteI get along with them, but they don't like me a whole lot, and the relationship is tense. Could be because I'm on the hearing board and challenge their procedures when going after students. Could be that I research student attitudes about campus police. The police chief actually tried to hunt me down on campus last year because he found out about the study!
ReplyDeleteI used to work in our campus library at my Beknighted Doctoral Institution. It's a public uni, and consequently it is...um...open to the public. And do you know who the public is? It's guys who look at pornography A LOT on public machines. It's also the guys who flash gals, guys, ancient volumes of Harper's Bazaar... in the basement stacks.
ReplyDeleteI was very thankful for them when I had to call them. I was intrigued by the commenter who noted that the police at his/her school have no real "powers." Ours have guns had guns and stuff.
Blackdog, yup, our campus police have no guns or weapons of any sort etc, while the other university has police with guns, pepper spray, tasers, billy club etc., you name it. While our campus police has cruisers, kevlar vests, walkie talkies etc, their impotence was exposed a few years ago by a well-publicized incident where a student was confronted by a mugger, a fight ensued which wound up as a wrestling match on the ground, the campus police arrived on the scene and from a distance of several feet proceeded to shout for everyone to stop fighting, without actually stepping in and physically stopping the fight. It ended up being a prolonged affair, during which the student was confused by the sight of 2 campus police just standing there and watching.
ReplyDeleteProf Poopiehead, if your fuzz will not engage physically in fights then they are unarmed security, and not "real" campus police. Most security guards in the US are unarmed and all they can do is observe and report, along with the same citizens' arrest powers you have. Even unarmed police forces will tackle or shove aside two people fighting.
ReplyDelete@ Poopiehead,
ReplyDeleteYou guys have mall cops!