MAGNOLIA, Ark. — The relationship between college students who live on campus and the University Police is an important one, but sometimes there is a disconnect between the two groups.
Southern Arkansas University Police Chief Eric Plummer along with J Courson, director of housing/associate dean of students, Sandra Smith, assistant director of housing/assistant dean of students and Brian Berry, former dean of students at SAU, recently spoke at a national convention about how to foster relationships between students and University police. The convention was the Region IV West component of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and was held Nov. 8 in Little Rock.
In the presentation, Plummer and other college officials discussed and outlined the Adopt-A-Cop program implemented this year at SAU. The program assigns officers to each residence hall on campus as well as the University Village Apartments in hopes that students will begin to trust officers and the officer’s presence will help decrease crimes on campus. Officers in the program increase patrols, meet with residence hall directors and establish programs based on the individual needs of each hall, Plummer said.
So far, the program is showing positive results, Plummer said.
“We have had no burglaries reported in the residence halls this year so far, and last year by this time we had already had eight reported,” Plummer said.
In addition to security issues, the program also focuses on how to improve safety on campus. One of the issues students have been made aware of through the program is the practice of “tailgating,” in residence halls — in other words — unauthorized students gaining access to a hall by coming in behind someone with proper access, Plummer said.
Smith said she thinks the program is working and will continue to offer everyone a safer environment to attend college and live.
“University Housing and University Police divisions have partnered closely to help provide a safer campus for our students and provide them with educational opportunities on personal safety,” Smith said. “It has been very successful, and our housing staff and residents have built relationships with the individual SAU officers. We believe that this partnership has also increased residents’ awareness of the services the SAU police department offers and has strengthened the communication and relationship between the University Housing and SAU Police Department.”
