Quinnipiac security officers can be seen in many locations on campus every day, stationed at the entranceways of the university, walking outside the dorms, and driving down Bobcat Alley in their jeeps. They are constantly watching over students like a virtual fleet of guardian angels.
“The Security Department’s major objective is to maintain a safe environment for students, staff, and faculty. Everything the department does is intended to attain that objective,” said John Twining, chief of security and safety.
Emergencies and accidents happen all the time that need to be taken care of. The security department handles all such incidents on campus.
“Different types of incidents require different types of responses. Basic incident management requires that officers respond to a scene, determine what the emergency is, secure the scene, decide what resources are needed, arrange to have those resources respond and then do anything necessary to deal with the incident,” Twining said.
Security responds to incidents almost immediately, based on the severity of the situation.
“Calls such as medical emergencies, fire alarms or crimes in progress are dispatched immediately and take precedence over routine calls,” Twining said. “Response time to such calls depends upon staffing levels, the location of officers when the call is received, the time of day, pedestrian and vehicle traffic levels,” Twining said.
Another job performed by security officers is to keep trespassers off campus. Students see officers at every entrance of campus, where they check for parking stickers. Any student who does not have a parking sticker is asked why he or she wants to enter campus and is also asked to show their student identification card. Anyone seeking to enter campus without a valid reason is prohibited from entering. And anyone who is found on campus without permission faces the possibility of arrest.
“People found on campus who should not be here are documented, warned that if they return, they are subject to arrest for trespass, and escorted off campus,” Twining said.
Security officers are also responsible for telling students that they are not allowed to drive on Bobcat Alley.
“I do feel safe on campus; however, I think there are inconsistencies within the security, with who they let in. If you are a student, you should be allowed on campus,” said Lisa Jordan, a junior advertising major.
Steven Tisi, a junior broadcast journalism major, feels that security might face some problems but that it is still doing a good job overall.
“Security can lack sometimes, but I still don’t feel threatened on this campus. Security does what they can do on a campus this size,” Tisi said.
All in all, many students feel that security does a great job and that Quinnipiac is a very safe and secure environment. Mike Plourd, a sophomore print journalism major, said: “This is a very safe school and the security does a good job. The campus is so well lit and security patrols all the time. Everyone here is just good people and we have a strong sense of community.”
