Seriously, what is the point of Campus Security when they never do anything? They’re all horribly out of shape (some of them I would say are straight-up obese) Each time I have seen them they’re either messing around or giggling whilst looking at their phones.
Worse still, when I had a car accident in the campus parking lot they didn’t even do anything - they just stared, no running over asking us both if we were okay or needed an ambulance, no calling the police, they just stared as if looking at a dancing monkey.
Does anybody else see this behavior at other colleges? Is this normal?
Based on my experiences at three different campuses (a small LAC, a medium-sized private university, and a large public university) I’d say your campus police/security are relatively abnormal. I worked closely with public safety at the medium-sized private because I worked in student services there, and my experiences have been committed and courteous folks who genuinely cared about keeping campus safe. A lot of the public safety officers at the first two campuses were retired or former police officers. (At the third, the officers were actually police officers because the university was public).
The other thing is that your campus security guards may actually be separate from campus police/public safety…at my second uni, the security guards that worked access into the buildings were different from the trained public safety officers. Those security guards would’ve been less likely to assist in a car accident they witnessed in the parking lot, but technically that’s not really their job either - the protocol would be to call public safety.
I know they’re separate since they have different uniforms, but still if they’re just going to act worse than the students then what’s the point in hiring them at all?
Like I said before, none of them are in shape, these guys wouldn’t even qualify as Police Cadets. I say Police Cadets too since some of them look to be just as young as me (I’m 19) but it still rubbed me the wrong way that when I was absolutely shaken scared and bawling my eyes out after my accident they didn’t come over to ask if I was okay or even call the police. They just stared like I was a dancing monkey.
Heck even on the way to class tonight I saw them hanging out in front of the disabled bays giggling over something on one of their phones. Baring in mind as well this was for a night class in the campus parking lot, probably at a peak time if somebody was to try and start something.
I’m just wondering if all they’re gonna do is be on their phones, be out of shape, and stare, what’s even the point of having them?
I don’t know where you are. However, when I was an undergrad l had reason to seek help from the campus police on several occasions and found them to be very helpful and very valuable. As a graduate student I never happened to need them.
I agree with @juillet
At my U, we have our own campus police, public safety, and campus security, but those are 3 different positions. Security generally is in charge of building access. I have had pleasant experiences with both the police and security. Last year my car battery died (ended up calling AAA to get it replaced) and there were several times when my car wouldn’t start. The first time, it was after a late night rehearsal (like1 am) and campus security happened to pass by me and stopped to help and jump start my car. The other times, I called police non-emergency and they were happy to help me get it started.
Probably, some security are in better shape, more responsive to your concerns, etc. Your personal observations and anecdotes seem unlikely to characterise campus security personnel individually or as a group on your campus. I suppose you could file a complaint with campus security office.
After experience on multiple campuses as faculty,staff, and student, I found campus security were usually obvious and busy at assorted tasks. However, they are not charged with changing tires or digging out snow from parking lots, and other activities we would consider helpers.
Campus budgets and administration designate responsibilities of staff.
Finally, looking at pictures on cell phones, for example, may happen because a group runs into each other and takes the opportunity to look at something amusing (not that students and others would ever do that) or may be on a specific assignment such as quietly watching for someone who had threatened to kill me and blow the office with students and staff. If administration is concerned, they can and will address the behavior. Otherwise, I think our best choice is monitoring ourselves and our behaviors.
I think campus security is there as a central point to handle the administrative side of things that come up on campus. Whether it is assault, complaints, etc. they should have offered you services for the accident. But today with cell phones and everything, people are able to handle most things on their own.
At my undergrad university, security for building access was student position. They also provided security escort. Campus police were a licensed police force and maintained the law on campus, hoping to minimize the city/county police involvement with the campus. It has been my experience that police in the real world don’t anything for a parking lot accident with no injuries and may not show for a street accident if you are not blocking traffic.
Think of it this way: would you really rather have no one there looking out for your safety? Campus security escort kids home, get people into their dorms when they forget their cards, keep an eye on campus activities, look for potential non-college trouble makers (as well as on-campus trouble makers), and oversee security for all the buildings so that all those nice amenities and educational materials don’t get stolen or vandalized. They patrol to protect college property, staff and students. I’m willing to pay their salaries, thank you very much.
I’ll share the perspective of a public school campus officer I spoke to a few months ago. He said of the 3,300+ students, he knew the 200 or so he had to keep an eye on. A main part of their job is observing and being seen. Watch the troublemakers and be present so that people decide it is better to do the right thing.
Campus security and campus police are two entirely separate entities. Campus police are actual police officers and often times have municipal jurisdiction as well. Campus security are mall cops.
Honestly after thinking about it I don’t think we even have campus police since we are a Community College, not much goes down there, we don’t really have that many ameneties other than a library and a room with about 5 computers people use to do their homework but even then that room is tacked onto the main hall of the campus where there is always somebody be it faculty or student so its unlikely anybody would start anything regardless. There’s also a gym (honestly its so small I use that term very loosely).
Hell, the one time something did happen where a Jobcorp student stole an Olympic Bar from the gym, Campus Security didn’t even get involved, a group of students figured out who the thief was using the gym sign-in sheet and put it back.
