RANDY METCALF

UAPD Officer Craig Simpson, a liaison for Gila Hall, says the liaison program works well to provide a one-on-one link with students. Each UAPD officer is assigned to a residence hall, where they conduct meetings and informational sessions about various campus issues.

Friday October 19, 2001

New UAPD liaisons available to serve students, make halls safer

As part of a joint project, Residence Life and UAPD have assigned officers to act as liaisons between the police department and students living in dorms.

The program was created this summer to provide a way for students to get to personally know someone at the police station.

Craig Simpson, a University of Arizona Police Department officer and liaison to Gila Residence Hall, said the program enables students to approach a police officer and ask questions in a familiar setting.

"It's been a real positive program," Simpson said. "It's created a good one-to-one link with the students."

Each UAPD officer is assigned as a liaison to one residence hall.

Simpson said the officers are not in the halls to create an atmosphere of paranoia but rather one of "safety and security."

"We're basically there to get to know people in the halls, to be active, to be approachable," Simpson said. "We want to be a touchstone to the (police) department for the campus community."

Jim Van Arsdel, director of Residence Life and University Housing, said he was happy with the workings of the program.

"The idea has been out there for years. It's always been a matter of resources," he said.

Van Arsdel called the program an excellent opportunity to show that independent departments within the university are working together to better serve students.

Some students said they have seen the liaisons in their halls.

"I saw one yesterday," said Kate Collins, an undeclared freshman. "But I didn't know why he was there."

Other students said they were completely unaware of the liaisons' presence in the halls.

"I've never seen one," said Phil Knittel, a media arts freshman.

Audrey Ching, director of Gila Hall, said dorms are working to inform students about the liaisons' presence through posters hung in residence hall lobbies, mailbox slips and postings on residence hall listservs.

Ashlyn Aneloski, an undeclared freshman, said she learned of the presence of a hall liaison after one attended a meeting in her dorm about alcohol and tobacco awareness.

Knittel said he does not see the need for liaisons in the halls.

"If I had a problem, I wouldn't walk around my dorm looking for help," Knittel said. "I'd pick up the phone and call the police station."

But Brian Caracappa, a media arts freshman, said he would be more likely to report a problem to police if an officer was available in the hall.

"I feel more secure with them here," he said.

Collins agreed. She said she would be "much more" likely to contact a liaison with a problem than to call or visit the police station.

Ching said the students and staff at Gila enjoy having a liaison.

"Our RA staff is very appreciative whenever he comes by," she said. "It gives them a direct connection to the police."

Simpson gave his e-mail address to students and staff at Gila, hoping some would feel more comfortable communicating via computer. He said he has since responded to several e-mail questions from students.

Ching said students feel more comfortable talking to a police officer they already know.

"It makes it less scary to be able to call and ask for 'Craig,'" she said.

William Evans, director of Kaibab-Huachuca Residence Hall, said his residents have become comfortable around Officer Brandt Smith, who serves as liaison for the hall.

"I invited him to one of our staff meetings, and he came and met everyone," Evans said. "That way, everyone knew not to be alarmed when they saw him walking around."

Evans said Smith stops by Kaibab-Huachuca several times a week to talk to staff and students. Smith also holds frequent question and answer sessions for the hall.

The staff at Kaibab-Huachuca is actively using its liaison to increase its knowledge about drug and alcohol awareness.

Evans said Smith will burn a substance that resembles marijuana in odor, so resident assistants can be alert to the smell of the drug.

Simpson said that after conducting several question and answer sessions at Gila, he and Ching have decided to collaborate on a series of informational meetings. The meetings will be lecture-style with time for questions and discussion.

Simpson said he and Ching would look at questions frequently asked by students in planning the informational meetings.

"We get a lot of questions about traffic laws, alcohol and drug-related questions," Simpson said.