Feature
k night in the life of a public safety officer
4
The Clackamas Print
Wednesday. May 22.1996
will swiftly respond. “We can
also call out for medical, “said
Steigleder.
In addition to the radio he
ficer Tom Steigleder stops in front
of the Community Center to pick also has a cellular phone. After
me up. I’ll ride along with him the Public Safety Office closes for
during his shift to see how a Pub the evening, dispatcher Amy
lic Safety Officer performs the du Cornett is on duty at the Help
ties that will ensure safety on cam Center to transfer calls directly
pus after hours.
to him. To demonstrate how it
Before we start out, he ex works, he has the dispatcher call
plains how to use the radio in case him on the phone. The call from
of an emergency. “I don’t antici the Help Center comes through
pate a problem, but you never to let him know his cellular
know, and it’s best to be prepared. phone is working properly. Af
Press the button on the mike and ter the dispatcher leaves, any calls
say “code zero.” That means ‘of made on campus will go directly
ficer down
to his phone.
needs
If anyone on
and
We like to walk
help.’” There
campus needs
people out to their
help at night or
are a variety
of codes that
at any time,
cars. It’s part of
are called out
they should
our job. Anybody
over the radio.
dial 6650 at
Photo by Chad Patteson
and everybody can
Steigleder
any campus
Public Safety Officer Tom Steigleder cruises around the campus making it a safe place.
call us at any time
phone and get
shows me a
help immedi He checks on people’s cars, makes
card of what
a warning. Moments later C-Com several cars and the speed shows
the various
ately. There is sure the buildings are locked and calls in a code 4, which is a spot up at the back of the radar gun in
-Tom Steigleder
codes are and
Public Safety Officer
also someone responds quickly to any distur-
check to see how he is doing. If bright red numbers. Most are
what
they ------------------------------ 9 9 available at all barice,” said Steigleder.
they get no response a squad car obeying the traffic and speed rules
times to walk a
mean. ■
9:24 p.m. A male student
will be sent to the campus to check this evening.
All Public Safety Officers are student or faculty to their car in driving a truck runs a stop sign.
on him to see if he is okay.
Public Safety is also respon
also commissioned as Clackamas the dark. “We like to walk people Steigleder turns on the flashing
9:36 p.m. The cadet on duty sible for the campus at the Har
County Deputy Sheriffs and have out to their cars. It’s part of our lights and goes in pursuit, stop calls in to say there has been a mony Center and the campus at
the power and authority to make job. Anybody and everybody can ping him near the Safety Office.
heated argument between a boy Wilsonville. Cadets are also used
arrests. Most have gone through call us at any time.”
He calls in to C-Com. and runs a friend and girlfriend as they leave there to make sure everything
the Reserve Academy with 320
In addition to the officer in check on both the plates of the
class. We check the parking lot stays peaceful.
hours of law enforcement training. the roving patrol car, there is also truck and the driver to see if there
where they were last seen to see
10:00 p.m. After a rela
Steigleder explains there are a cadet on foot with a two-way is anything outstanding on his
if there is still a problem, but they tively peaceful evening we head
four channels for the multi-band radio. Ron Ailoth is on duty this driving record and it comes back
have already left.
back to the Help Center where we
radio called C-Com., or Clacka evening and conducts himself in clean. As a routine precaution he
9:48 p.m. Steigleder sets up meet the cadet and walk Amy
mas County Communications the same professional manner as also gives his location.
a speed trap where we can see Cornett out to her car.
Network. An outside agency will a Public Safety Officer. “He’s
After 10:00 p.m. most of the
For running a stop sign the three stop signs at once and
also monitor his calls and keep kind of my eyes and ears when fine is $165, plus $90 for not hav
breaks out the radar gun. The students are gone and the only
track of him during his shift. If at I’m not there. He’s usually the ing his vehicle registered and an radar gun is calibrated to the same sounds you hear are sounds of the
any time he needs help he can call one who walks people to their other $165 for not having insur
speed of a vibrating tuning fork, night and frogs serenading each
on the radio and request outside cars at night and makes sure ance. Because he has a clean
the same instrument used to tune other.
back-up and an available officer people get off campus safely .” record, Steigleder lets him go with musical instruments. He checks
Paul Ulmen
Staff Writer
9:10 p.m. Public Safety Of
Why Did
He Do It?
O' | ’’hree reasons mainly: first, they have night
X and weekend classes so I can get my
degree while working full time. Plus, there’s a low
ratio of students to teachers so you get good
instruction, and lastly, I like the atmosphere here.
That’s why I transferred to Marylhurst.”
— Dana Torrey
Social Sciences
There are many reasons to transfer to Marylhurst.
Calif or a free transfer credit evaluation, today.
Marylhurst College
503-699-6268
Just 20 minutes south of downtown Portland.
Twister’ sweeps in profits
Brian Ray
Staff Writer
The first of the summer’s
blockbusters has arrived.
“Twister” is an exciting, effects-
filled spectacle with
no more thematic
depth than abso
lutely necessary.
The film is the cel
luloid equivalent of
a roller coaster ride.
Scientist Bill
Harding (played by
Bill Paxton, of
“Apollo 13”) and
his soon-to-be ex-
wife Jo (played by
Helen Hunt of “Mad
About You”) find
themselves on the
verge of a break
through. They de
velop a device that can monitor
tornado activity, nicknamed Dor
othy. It’s purpose is to give ad
vance warning of potential tor
nados, so that towns can be
evacuated sooner. Along with a
rag-tag bunch of storm chasers
and Bill’s dimwit psychologist
fiance' (played ineptly by Jami
Gertz of “The Lost Boys”), the
pair find themselves chasing the
biggest tornado to hit the Mid
west in over thirty years.
Hot on their heels are a rival
group of storm chasers led by
Cary Elwes (“Robin Hood: Men
in Tights”), who have copied off
Bill and Jo’s Dorothy design and
intend to beat them to the punch.
Along the way, it becomes not
only a race against nature, but a
neck-in-neck race with each other.
Meanwhile, with each ensuing
encounter Bill and Jo become
closer to each other, rekindling
their relationship.
Despite the amazing visual
effects (courtesy of Industrial
Light & Magic), “Twister” has a
few flaws. The screenplay, by “Ju
rassic Park creator Michael
Crichton and Anne-Marie Mar
tin, seems to be half-developed in
plot. There isn’t much to the film
except for its visual impact. The
acting, with the exception of
Paxton and Hunt, is pretty pa
thetic. All of these things are ir
relevant as the film is not
intended to be a deep
thinking study of storm
chasers. It is a giant
thrill machine. On that
level, it succeeds in ev
ery way.
It has apparently
worked,
because
“Twister” has raked in
over $96 million dollars
in one and a half weeks.
It’s opening weekend
“Twister” made almost
$41 million, making it
the largest non-holiday
opening in history. It
was also the fourth larg
est opening ever behind the last
two Batman movies and “Juras
sic Park.” Pretty impressive for
this early in the Summer movie
season. Directed by Jan De Bont,
the talented filmaker behind 1994’s
blockbuster “Speed”, “Twister” is
an enjoyable, exciting spectacle
from beginning to end. If you’re
looking for “Jurassic Park”-size
thrills, “Twister” definitely deliv
ers. If you’re looking for depth, you
will be disappointed.
Grade:FX A+, Movie B+