Author:
Essam Tsim Damangii
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Date Posted: 08:17:38 01/01/00 Sat
What has the 21st century brought to human persons of good will? Indeed what is there for the security of our institutions of higher education? The last 35 years at UPNG has been but tranquil for the council and its central administration. The 1980 to 1999 can best be remembered for violence, thugery, provincial parochialism, with the rule of law practically nil in the student dormitories and to some extent the staff quarters. As the University begins the academic year, concern will once more surface for the safety of students, staff, public property and threats to professors. There is possibility that disorder will increase in volume unless crime is kept in check by a duly constituted law enforcement body. We would be talking about a police detachment on campuses to deliver services as a means of oversighting social behavior.
The university police can deliver police services to the university campus community. It would seek to maintain a staff full-time sworn peace officers to provide proactive patrol, crime prevention, investigative, law enforcement, and emergency services. Officers would interact in a variety of problem-solving modes to ensure a safe campus environment for those that work, learn, and visit on campus. It would be located in the heart of campus and work closely with the cities and sub-urban police agencies including the provincial police offices.
Community awareness would be its main strategy, dovetailed into standing university policies on crime prevention. University policy would encourage the reporting of all crimes committed on campus and assist victims of those crimes. Weekly campus crime reports would be printed in the university weekly newspaper. The University police would participate in city Crime Alert Network. Fax alerts, disseminated through University departments, and notify the community of incidents.
One of the important thrusts of the police detachment would be to work closely with the Programs against sexual violence. The Program should conduct extensive education and prevention programs on such topics as sexual exploitation, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, protection and street safety, sex-role stereotyping, date/acquaintance rape, and historical perspectives relating to sexual violence. It should also reach out to entering freshman and their parents. Presentations, training, and pamphlets on crime prevention should be available to all students, staff, and faculty upon request by calling 24-hour crisis line numbers.
To assist it, the University police detachment could employ students as security monitors and escorts. Uniformed student security monitors would routinely inspect exterior lighting, campus telephones, and building security. Student escorts would be available to all campus travelers. The escort service would be free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week year-round. All uniformed student security monitors and student escorts should have had background checks and trained by the university police.
Senior psychology student and police professionals should be part of the university police service to assess situations of potential disorder and recommend ways to prevent violence.
This expediency means that universities would do away with Campus Security contracts and use the savings to set up a university police office and system, including the allowances for uniformed student security monitors. This alternative would be cheaper since the police would be members of the metropolitan police force, although some allowances and accommodation may be in order. Moreover, students would be part of the security service. Any serious Vice Chancellors should seriously look at this proposal and try it out possibly at the UPNG Waigani - Taurama campuses.
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