From our November print issue.
We last mentioned CampusWatch in our June issue – a Metropolitan Police initiative, to recruit special constables from universities, so everyone benefits – police, the uni and the constable, maybe a security officer.
As we reported, the first two universities to pilot the scheme are Queen Mary University and City University, and more have been joining the partnership since. The scheme is aimed at anyone involved in university life, whether students, lecturers, support staff or security officers. Those who volunteer to become specials will be sponsored by their university and will give eight hours of their time, once a fortnight, to patrolling college grounds. With the exception of security staff, the specials will not patrol at their own university, but at another of their choice, to avoid a conflict of interests. The Met will liase with the university to ensure that recruits are fairly distributed and according to local policing needs. All the volunteers have the same powers as full-time Met police officers.
What they say
Neil Barrett, Head of Employer Support Services at the Met, hopes the initiative will match the Met’s similar ShopWatch scheme: "For the last 18 months we’ve been running a similar initiative with the retail industry, which has seen excellent results for both retailers and shoppers. But, the key aspect has been the positive impact it’s had on the volunteers. The combination of police training and patrols has seen their confidence, and in some cases their job prospects, greatly improve. I’m confident that CampusWatch will do the same for the individuals involved, as well as improving security and safety on campus."
If involved in university life and are interested, call 0845 727 2212 quoting CampusWatch. Or call Nicola Wallinger, CampusWatch Co-ordinator on 020 7161 2651. Neil Barrett told Professional Security that some of London’s Met-policed boroughs are taking up an off-the-shelf pack, to set up local ShopWatches. ShopWatch sponsored the British Retail Consortium Annual Parliamentary Reception in July where key retail and security executives had a briefing on by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick. Other police forces are showing an interest. The Met is looking into running similar schemes with the NHS Trust (not surprisingly called HospitalWatch) and are at the early stages of looking for pilot sites.
A new university year in October sees a security effort to make sure new students stay safe.
Joint patrols by West Yorkshire police and university security officers was our cover story in December 2000. Itโs still happening each autumn to protect fresh students. Police from the four Leeds divisions and university security stafff across the city patrol around the universities and colleges and near student accommodation, pubs and clubs.
At Reading University, besides police offering advice to newcomers were the fire service and the personal safety charity Suzy Lamplugh Trust. Thames Valley Police Crime Reduction officer Steve Deane said: โNine times out of 10 coming to university is the first time these youngsters have flown the nest. They tend to think they are streetwise, but often they are not and it is a rude awakening when they become a victim of crime. The campaign is not about frightening the new students, it is simply about making them aware โ you cannot wrap them up in cotton wool all their lives.โ
