On a relatively safe, small campus, it’s easy to take for granted the work done by the Bradley University Police Department. Sometimes, we don’t realize how beneficial it is to have the officers around until we really need them.
Recently, The Scout staff ran into an issue in which we needed the assistance of the BUPD, and they were incredibly obliging. We thought the officers would view our organization’s problem as insignificant, but when we reported the issue, it was treated with the utmost care and professionalism.
A majority of our newspapers disappeared from the nearly 45 news racks and locations we have on and near campus last Friday. We noticed around 1 p.m. Friday afternoon, filed a report with the BU police around 4 p.m. and were notified that officers had identified one culprit who had been throwing the newspapers in trash and recycling bins by 6 p.m.
Not only did the police work swiftly, but they also continued analyzing evidence after identifying one culprit, and they were able to find two more individuals involved with removing the newspapers.
The officers talked our staff through the options of charging or not charging the individuals with theft, and they made sure we were informed about the implications of the charges.
This incident reinforced the idea that the campus police really do take their jobs seriously. However, this notion is not only being exemplified with our experience, but also through other strides the BUPD has been making throughout campus.
Last year, BUPD received complaints about its safety alert email system, which warns students of dangerous incidents that occur on or around campus, when people suggested the alert did not come out as quickly as students would have liked. Officers took steps to ensure the issue would be corrected. They then made efforts to shorten the time between when an incident happens and when alerts are sent to campus in the next alert shortly after.
Furthermore, BUPD has also taken steps to ensure its officers are useful resources for students.
This semester, a newly created position designed to increase communications between the police department and Bradley was developed.
The police department reassigned Nathan Haynes to be the new Crime Prevention Officer. Since he stepped into his role, we believe Officer Haynes has been a very active presence on campus, leading outreach programs and meeting with student organizations across campus to educate them on crime prevention.
Not only are officers visible on campus through these efforts, but also they are easy to approach and readily available, showing they truly enjoy talking to students. Between going to the Campustown station to collect police reports and talking to officers for interviews, our staff has learned these officers not only know how to do their jobs, but they are passionate about them and the student body they serve.
