Valparaiso University - Beacon / Record Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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Now, Campus Security has no power to arrest, carry weapons, and has no authority off campus, said Lippens. Blanchard believes that the lack of police powers by his department is doing a disservice to the university community and the students' families. NSomebody is paying money for security here and until that lthe lack of police powersi is turned around to where it should be, we wont be doing a full job, he stated. Daryll D. Hersemann, vice president for Student Affairs, said that the money for the Security Department comes from the general income of the university, which includes tuition fees, grants, and gifts. According to Blanchard, it VU Security obtained police powers, each officer would be required to attend a six week course at an Indiana State Police Academy. Any Officer failing to fulfill this requirement within one year would be replaced. The authority for granting police powers to the Security Department is VU's board of Trustees, but Blanchard is a way from achieving his desired goal. HOur board has never considered the question tot police powerst stated Hersemann. Student Affairs has jurisdiction over the Security Department. Hersemann believes that the university has adequated authority with its own students, and the police powers, it obtained, would mainly be used for dealing with outsiders who come on campus. 29

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28 A MATTER OF SECURITY iiWe werehlt told anything about special procedures. We were never told what to do in a confrontation tinvolving some wrong doingt. The people who worked full time knew the procedures, but the students did not. There was no training? Statement of Purpose: ValParaiso University Security Department - HWe exist to serve and protect a social and academic environment that sustains and encourages moral and intellectual growth. But does the VU Security Department adequately fulfill its reason for being? VU Security chief, Thomas Blanchard feels that the Security Department is greatly hindered in its job of protecting the environment oil the university by a lack on police powers. Three full time officers and 15-18 student officers have little power to stop crime. Presently, security officers are allowed to give tickets for parking violations and to speeding motorists on campus, but that is all. iilf there is an accident on campus, we can't even investigate it ourselves. We can't even find a license number,u said Blanchard. if an accident or a crime such as a break-in or assault does occur on campus, the Valparaiso Police Department, who has full authority on campus, is called in. Detective Dave Lippens, Valparaiso Police Department, said that he would like to see the VU Security Department police trained with full police powers. Hit would relieve us from a lot of work, said Lippens. Police training would give VU Security the power to make arrests, hold suspects, issue tickets for every type of offense and pursue suspects off of university grounds. Campus Security could also carry out their own investigations without Valparaiso Police intervention.

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30 He added that VU has excellent co-operation from the Valparaiso Police Department. Detective Lippens felt that Blanchard, who was hired this year after working for Wackenhunt Corporation, the third largest contract guard company in the world, has made improvements. One of Blanchardls new measures is having a radio operator on duty from 8 am until midnight. After that, calls must be routed through Valpo police. This eliminates the V.P.D. after 5 pm. Another improvement is the assignment of a full time officer to one shift each weekend, adding needed experience to this busy time. Only student officers worked the weekend shift prior to this action. Hersemann stated that steps have also been taken to provide a more professional Security Department than VU has had in the past. Officers and students are undergoing more trainin, there are crime prevention programs that were not done in the past, there is going to be a bicycle registration for students and the Security Department is trying to make itself more visible on campus with new uniforms and new marking on security oars. HWe are trying to gain respect, said Hersemann. Respect, however, is something that VU Security will have to earn. Matt Bragg, a former employee of the VU Security Department, told of the problems he encountered last year NThe whole set-up last year was really shabby. Lots of guys slept or