New Safety and Security Office Seeks Campus Input on Community-Based Model
Hampshire has formed a new Safety and Security Department made up of newly hired Hampshire employees who will practice a community security model to replace the former policing model. Starting this week, all students, faculty, and staff are invited to come meet with and share ideas with new staff members who will lead the new Safety and Security Department: Chuck Furgal, Director, and Phillip Snow, Lead Supervisor.
They said they look forward to meeting everyone at the open forums on Wednesday December 5, Wednesday December 12, and Tuesday December 18, from 11:00am-Noon, in FPH West Lecture Hall. Light refreshments will be served.
The new department was created after a yearlong assessment of the security needs of our campus. The new department will practice a model commonly known as community policing, aka community-oriented policing, a strategy that focuses on fostering personal relationships and working closely with everyone on campus as partners in safety and security. The new department is slated to begin work officially in January to start the spring term.
The new department is hoping to hear ideas from many on campus and especially students and student groups and the offices of Student Life, Health and Counseling Services, Title IX and others who will inform department policies. The College will provide the new security officers with training through winter break, to include bias training, Title IX, campus orientation, and more.
The department will continue to be a 24/7 force and will assist students with lock-outs, transportation, and other daily services, as well as continuing to deliver such essential services as:
- responding to medical and fire emergencies
- responding to accidents
- securing and providing access to buildings
- registering vehicles, and
- responding to and investigating reports of threats or crimes against people or property.
This will not be a sworn police force so they will not have the power to arrest and instead will utilize the Amherst and Hadley Police Departments when necessary for serious infractions. Other changes expected from the new department:
- vehicles will not have standard "blue" police lights
- department offices will be headquartered in the basement of the library, not in the house on Bay Rd.
- personnel will not wear police uniforms but instead will wear easily identifiable security uniforms.
Mary McEneany, vice president for Finance and Administration and Treasurer, said the campus can expect the new officers to be more visible and more available to serve students, faculty, and staff. "Our goal is to provide the most peaceful, secure, and welcoming campus for our community members to study, work, and live," she wrote in a campus announcement.
Questions on the new office can be sent to McEneany at mmceneany@hampshire.edu.
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