When out on a Saturday night, does the sight of a Department of Public Safety officer reassure you? Or, instead, do you straighten up and try to walk by without being noticed?
For too many students, campus police conjure apprehension rather than an increased sense of safety. DPS’s mission statement declares a commitment to securing the Georgetown community, but in reality, its resources have been diverted too far away from the purpose of protecting the public and redirected too heavily toward the pursuit of hunting petty misconduct.
There is a fine line between watching out for students and trying to get them in trouble. Officers should not actively search out drinking violations. Cases such as vandalism, creating a disturbance or drinking outdoors warrant police intervention, but unless students are openly violating the drinking age in public, DPS need not lurk outside parties. DPS should make its highest priority the prevention and prosecution of hostile crimes, not private behavior.
Last month, there were nearly 30 combined thefts and burglaries reported by DPS, a significant increase from the number in January 2011. These crimes pose a much greater threat to campus safety than the private conduct of individual students, and protecting our campus security by preventing further instances of burglary and robbery is directly in line with DPS’s mission statement. Perhaps patrolling a sidewalk late at night is less exhilarating than busting parties, but it provides a much greater service to the university community.
By no means do we condone breaking university rules, nor do we advocate a system in which campus police are helpless bystanders to overt student displays of misconduct. But
student fear of DPS officers does little to dissuade drinking or partying; rather, efforts taken to elude DPS can put students in greater danger. In order to evade being caught at an on-campus party, students sometimes venture deep into Burleith alone, often at odd hours of the night. Though drinking might be dangerous, walking alone through the neighborhood at night can be even riskier. The university may have a genuine desire to prevent underage drinking, but a system that results in intoxicated students wandering the streets late at night is contrary to the paramount objective of student safety.
DPS needs to be reminded of whom it is primarily responsible for protecting: the community. Officers deserve our respect and cooperation. In turn, they should develop student trust by working for us, not against us.
