the Informer

ADAM MANISON

If you ask any University students about Public Safety and what they do, many topics come up such as being parking watchdogs and invading student privacy. However, it’s time to clear the record.

Let’s face it, Public Safety gets a bad rap when really, all they are there to do is keep the safety and order on campus.

“We’re not a bunch of bad guys,” John Schmaltz, Director of Public Safety, said, “We only follow the University rules.”

The most common reason Public Safety is called is medical assists. This general term is an umbrella for many situations including sick students, injured, drugged and the intoxicated.

It takes a lot for Public Safety to deal with students especially ones that are intoxicated or under the influence of any kind.

“Many personalities comes out and students do not realize the kinds of things officers go through daily,” Schmaltz said.

Public Safety is not out to get anyone. They are not the snobbish people many students tag them with.

“It is all about voluntary compliance,” Schmaltz said, “We need to come together as a community.”

Some issues that students have with public safety involve parking and when the Hartford Police become involved with an investigation.

Parking is one of those situations that anger many, but no one can truly help.

“Parking will not change until something considerate happens on campus,” Schmaltz said, “It’s not good for anyone.”

Something that many students do not realize is that it really is chance when you get off with parking somewhere you shouldn’t and not get a ticket. With how Public Safety operates, sometimes only one officer is patrolling parking lots on residential and one on the academic side. But this is no excuse for openly disobeying the rules or being a repeat offender.

“Repeat offenders is really what gets us angry,” Schmaltz said, “Everyone makes decisions.”

Public Safety is calling on students to make a community effort to make campus not only safer, but also looking better and operating more smoothly.

“To be a safe community, it takes a community effort,” Schmaltz said, “Doing things like always locking your door is invaluable.”

Another common misconception about Public Safety is where the line between Public Safety and the Hartford Police are involved. Many students wonder why or why not the police have become involved in a situation.

“There are three reasons the Hartford Police would become involved,” Schmaltz explained, “the person who complained asked for them, it is a drug violation with enough to charge for possession with intent, or a serious crime that needs to be taken care of.”

One of the things that Public Safety is working on and improving on is investigating after the incidents occur. There have been a lot more follow ups recently on situations to further knowledge of the events and make things clear and close cases.

Overall, Public Safety is not out to get anyone. All they want is to be understood and treated with respect.