Campus Patrols Defended

Supporters of aggressive campus policing insist that maintaining a constant police presence in dorms and around campus helps improve student safety. By curtailing the use of drugs and alcohol among students, and addressing various types of criminal behavior, police officers are able to uphold a quality of life on college campus that creates a nurturing educational environment, they assert.

Proponents of campus policing assert that officers are legally justified in patrolling dormitory hallways and collecting evidence as necessary. Since tens, if not hundreds, of people travel through those areas on a regular basis, hallways cannot be considered private, backers insist. Therefore, students do not have a "reasonable expectation of privacy" in hallways, says Byron Bedirian, a prosecutor in one of the two WSU cases. He adds that officers should be allowed to conduct patrols in the hallways of student residential buildings whenever they feel it is necessary.

Many backers are quick to note that, for the most part, campus security personnel are respectful of students' privacy rights, and do not conduct random patrols. Rather, supporters say, officers usually walk the halls of dormitories only after a specific complaint has been filed. "There's no system where we go floor by floor, building by building," asserts Ed Blaguszewski, campus spokesman for UMass Amherst. "It's driven by concerns of the community."

However, he continues, if an officer responding to a call witnesses criminal activity committed in plain view that is unrelated to the original complaint, that officer would be justified in addressing the new problem. "They're out patrolling," Blaguszewski says, "so if they see something suspicious, if they think there may be drug activity and they're using their observational powers, then they're gonna proceed with their investigation."

Despite the general consensus among students that dorm patrols are unfair and unnecessary, some backers claim that campus policing activities enjoy public support. "I think the parents would want us back in there," said Steve Hansen, police chief of Pullman, after a May 2006 court decision restricted the ability of the local police to conduct dorm patrols at WSU. "Even talking to the student body, they would like us to have the ability to be in there."

In fact, some students have spoken out in favor of dormitory patrols. In the view of those students, having police on patrol in their residence halls helps ensure that the area is safe, giving them peace of mind. "It's nice to go to sleep in a dorm that's secure," says Lauren Bishop, an 18-year-old freshman at UMass.

Finally, other proponents contend that campus policing is important because it functions as a community building exercise. Since police are an important component of any law-abiding society, supporters say, it is important for colleges to teach young people how to get along with officers of the law. In that sense, they say, dorm patrols have the potential to foster positive, respectful relationships between police and students that could last a lifetime. "Part of what we're trying to teach is civic responsibility and good citizenship," says Michael Griffel, director of university residences for the University of Idaho, a school that allows for periodic dorm patrols. "The police are part of our community. We all pay taxes and use them as a positive force."

Sources
"UMass Adding 325 Video Security Cameras on Campus." CBS4 Boston, July 20, 2006, cbs4boston.com.

Vaznis, James. "Police Walk the Dorm Beat." Boston Globe, December 12, 2006, www.boston.com.

Vestal, Shawn. "WSU Police Won't Patrol Dorms." SpokesmanReview.com, August 7, 2006, www.spokesmanreview.com.