Keeping our campus safe

Campus security is an important issue and the sheriff’s department is here to make sure students and staff are safe.
“This university is quite unique. We are the only college in the state that has a local law enforcement substation as their on-site law enforcement,” said Sgt. Ray DeBiase.

The sheriff’s department on campus has seven full-time officers, two of which work overnight. They also have the full ability of response from the local sheriff’s and police departments.

“With the sheriff’s office on campus, you have a fully trained, fully POST certified and fully equipped law enforcement unit,” DeBiase said.
The sheriff’s department provides law enforcement services for the entire campus but the majority of calls are for first aid to help a student or staff member who is hurt or sick, he said. When an emergency call comes in they respond on average in four minutes or less.

The sheriff’s department also gives tickets for violations of the law on campus. The majority of tickets given this semester were for minor traffic offenses and underage alcohol consumption.

DeBiase said the department has only given out six or seven underage drinking tickets this semester, mostly at Walking Stick.

The department gave out 55 alcohol violations in 2005 and 22 in 2006.

“I contribute a lot of the safety to the culture of the university. It’s not known as a party school which saves a lot of the headaches,” DeBiase said, “and disciplinary-wise with the university, they are quite fair so when there are issues the kids learn the first time.”
The sheriff’s department also offers a campus safe walk program for all members of the college community.

This service is available throughout the year, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Anyone requesting a campus escort can call the sheriff’s department at 549-2373 and provide his or her location and a brief description of his or herself.
The sheriff’s department will send a deputy or a campus service officer depending on the location.

Officers will be clearly recognizable by their name badge, portable radio, uniform shirts and jackets.

DeBiase said that when people call for the safe walk service it is usually due to some outside influence, such as problems with an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend.

“It’s sporadic,” he said, “sometimes we get calls three or four times a week and sometimes we won’t get a call for a month.”

DeBiase said that most students feel safe enough to get around campus without a campus escort from the safe walk program.

“It’s a pretty good program and I wish it got used more, but evidently they feel the campus is quite safe and there’s not a real need for it,” he said.

DeBiase said he feels that CSU-Pueblo is a lot safer than most other colleges, but not just because of the presence of the sheriff’s department on campus.

“I believe we’re safer because of the rapport we have with the students, it’s just the kind of environment this university likes to promote,” he said.

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