Hoping to Deter Damages, Campus Police Increase Presence in Dorms
by: Spencer Conover ‘10Responding to vandalism, campus security start making more walk-throughs in dorms
Early this week, The Tiger learned that some dorms have seen increased patrols from campus police officers, causing some students to become worried that police officers are out to find problems and write tickets. In order to quell rumors and inform students, The Tiger decided to investigate this issue. Meetings and interviews with Chief Gee, Dean Klein, and others, revealed that some dorms are being patrolled as an effort to deter vandalism and destruction of College property and increased law enforcement will be present during Greek Week.
According to Dean Lawson, who oversees residence life and housing, Venable Hall has seen an “out-of-control and depressing” spike in vandalism and damages. “It appears that people do not like the windows in Venable as several have been broken, they do not like the exit signs as those have been torn down, they disapprove of emergency procedure forms in their rooms, and bathroom stall doors are common targets of anger or disgust.”
When asked if dorm patrols were the product of new policies, Dean Klein explained that the practice had been in place for over a decade. However, he did suggest that special attention would be given to problem areas.
“If the College becomes concerned that residents of a certain area are not capable of—or willing to—maintain their environment in an appropriate manner, we ask officers to begin walk-throughs of those trouble spots. Our experience has been that this tends to deter further problems.”
Klein did specify that Venable, Whitehouse, and Cushing were of particular concern, but he stressed that, “Officers may use their own discretion when they observe problems in other areas.”
Chief Gee reminisced about days when officers walked the halls of nearly every residence on campus. He particularly enjoyed the great relationships he was able to develop with students as he stopped by their rooms. Gee even suggested that he was chosen to be the Chief of Police because his friends—the students he met while walking “The Beat”—begged College administrators to give him the post. Gee expressed hope that officers and students will continue to enjoy amicable relationships. Chief Gee encourages friendly conversations, but reminds students that officers are obligated to respond to situations that require law enforcement or emergency response.
Dean Klein also commented on student-police interactions, saying, “Officers serve as public safety officers and as such are not ‘looking’ for anything. If they are confronted with problems, they must deal with the problems. Interaction with officers is encouraged. On the other hand, discretion is also encouraged.” Reminding Hampden-Sydney gentlemen of their Manners Born and Manners Bred, Klein continued, “One stays in another’s good graces by being respectful and courteous—just what your parents taught you.”
While officers are patrolling residences with the hopes of deterring property damage, it’s true that some students may have received citations or written warnings as a result of legal infractions. It has been reported that cases of underage alcohol possession and consumption will, at minimum, result in written warnings that are reported to the Dean of Students Office. At that point, students can expect the Student Justice system to respond with actions ranging from substance abuse counseling to probations or more severe measures as needed.
Still, Chief Gee warns that during Greek Week, agents with the Commonwealth of Virginia will be present. These officers will be wearing either uniforms or street clothes and will be both male and female. These officers will have been dispatched to this area by state and local officials, and students are reminded that all Commonwealth laws apply to the entire campus. According to Dean Klein and Chief Gee, the log cabin next to KA will “serve as a satellite police and emergency response office during Greek Week.”
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