Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1975)
Photo by Warren Morgan “People don't have enough respect for security officers around here and the problems they have. They have no more power than any other citizen . A big problem is that a lot of people don’t understand what a campus security officer cannot do.” So says Oakley Glenn, chief of Campus Security at the Uni versity. Campus Security offic ers are not police officers. They are unarmed, and they have no formal power of arrest other than a citizen's arrest—and anyone can make a citizen's arrest—which means they cannot legally forcibly detain a suspect, even if they catch him committing a crime. Then why have a Campus By BEN SILVERMAN Of the Emerald Security Office at all? What functions do they actually ful fill? Are they just a bunch of people who drive around cam pus aimlessly while eating up a big share of the tight University budget? According to Gerald Bogen, University vice-president for Student Services, late 60s-eariy 70s campus unrest was "partly'’ the reason for creating the office of Campus Security, he explained, the Physical Plant administered campus patrols, but the Uni versity did not have “very ade quate police coverage.” The campus riots called the State Legislature’s attention to the issue. “We had $100,000 worth of damage and a tre mendous amount of publicity on the bombings,” Bogen said. “The Legislature wanted state police on campus.” Three powerful members of the Ways and Means Commit tee visited campus and met with Pres. Robert Clark and Bogen to settle the question. Clark and Bogen managed to dissuade them from their plan, and instead the Legislature ended up providing the money to start the present Campus Security Office. Included was a $47,000 annual allotment to keep a Eugene Police Depart ment (EPD) patrols on campus continuously. One reason Bogen opposed state police on campus was a potential “jurisdictional prob lem" with EPD patrols if the Oregon State police ventured off campus. The state police do not ordinarily patrol the city of Eugene—they leave it to the EPD—but Bogen wondered “What are the campus bound aries?" He noted that jurisdic tion would be doubtful in frater nities or Westmoreland stu dent housing. "We had an excellent rela tionship with the Eugene police—and why screw that up?” Bogen continued. He as serted that the rapport and spirit of co-operation between the EPD and the campus community is “unique” for such relationships. Those who re sent the presence of EPD pat rols on campus are misin formed, he said, for “the ques tion of jurisdictions is a false one...the EPD could come on campus anytime they wanted...there never really was a sanctuary in a matter of law...We are not authorized to develop our own campus police force.” Glenn was EPD chief of de tectives before becoming campus security chief, and he continued to work for EPD until his official retirement last month. He is a large part of the reason campus and EPD get along so well, Bogen says. Glenn agrees that a good re lationship between city police and campus is important. Otherwise, city police might be “slow to respond” to calls be cause of “lack of interest.” Another reason for a special security force, Bogen said, was that it could be responsible to the president. He remembers that then-Gov. Tom McCall also favored state police on campus originally, but McCall balked when he learned that calling them on campus in large numbers would be his decision to make. This way, however, Bogen and Clark control campus security, and they can authorize it to do any thing legal. Bogen said he appreciates the flexibility of this “unique” arrangement, too. Under the present system, he says, he can call the entire EPD on campus if necessary—and that has happened in the past, he added. The University campus sec urity arrangement also pro vides a buffer between EPD and the campus. If, for in stance, a zealous dorm resi dent assistant call EPD be cause a dorm resident is caught smoking amrijuana, Bogen believes that EPD would call Campus Security and let them handle the matter. He also asserted that, unlike many city police departments, EPD primarily concerns itself with public nuisances, not tri vial offenses like marijuana smoking. Other services Campus Security now pro vides include: •Campus keys. The office employs one full-time key clerk and two full-time locksmiths. “Were constantly putting through key changes because keys got lost...more and more all the time. Keys are very time-consuming, one of our main programs,” Glenn said. •The Stop Theft program. This program registers per sonal valuables, lists them in a nationwide computer network, and helps recover them if they are lost or stolen. Items are listed by serial umber. If the item does not have a serial number, Campus Security will provide one and imprint it with electric pencil on the item. Many cities across the country now have a similar program, but Glenn says, “We carry it a lot more extensively than any city could.” Campus Sec urity sets up tables in the dor mitories, fraternities and sororities, and the College Inn so that students may conve niently register their belong ings. Glenn said that students and faculty living off campus may also register. In addition to the computer network, Glenn says that Eugene, Salem and the dorm areas late at night. They try to make sure dorm doors stay locked overnight, for residents and outsiders often prop them open. The student patrol also pat rols the main parking lots around the dorms. According to Glenn, these parking lots are the only busy ones after dark. “We had a tremendous amount of thefts from motor vehicles'' before 1971, when this program began, he pointed out. But the new patrol, to gether with a "light or two we had installed around the park ing lots” and an increased pat rol strength on campus be cause of EPD help, was able to reduce parking lot losses by 85 per cent its first year. • Campus alarm system. When a dorm alarm goes off, Campus Security must reset it in three different places, and they must also be downstairs to let firemen in if the call comes after the dorm doors are locked for the night. They also maintain alarms in science labs around campus, vending machines in the EMU, the AD buildings and dorms. Glenn also is planning at least two new programs. One is increased campus lighting. Three years ago he surveyed candlepower all over campus and submitted a detailed plan for new lighting, but the Open Citizen’s arrest only power of Campus Security Portland police departments check local pawn shops weekly for stolen items. “Hun dreds of items are returned to owners in the. state every month” because of Stop Theft. •Bicycle Patrol. This is an extension of the Stop Theft program, Glenn said. The pat rol will put a tag on your bike if you haven’t locked it properly; it will put a different tag on it if you don’t have a bicycle license. The purpose of the license is to provide a serial number, Glenn states. Be cuase two bikes of the same make and model may be im possible to distinguish, a serial number is important. • Student Patrol. The student patrol operates only in Space Committee turned it down. “Lighting dispels fear, and when people can walk across campus without being afraid, you have accomplished a goal. People's peace of mind is most important...Debbie (Debra Corbett, ASUO vice-president, who is working on the lighting problem) has actually talked to students who are afraid to go out at night because of the darkness." Glenn also wants emergency telephones instal led all over campus. Campus Security also main tains parking signs and lines, tickets and bills campus park ing violators, and locks and opens all campus doors at night. ( Continued on Page 4) BOOK SPRING BREAK FLIGHTS NOW! TOc'U btfi! Eugene Travel Shoppe on campus 687-2823 I TOmORROUJ OflLY george toasfongton slept fare 3:50 SHELDOn HIGH RUDITORIUm Ill T')\Y\ 8:00 liniVERSITY THEATER ADULTS 2.50 STUD€nTS |.25 U3XV3HX bon office BBB-4191
