News Scrapbook 1969-1971

B-1

EVENING TRIBUNE

San Diego, Thursday, December 17, 1970

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OFFICERS EARN PROFESSIONAL ST ATUS Campus Cops, 'Gradua

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Lea ership Hunt Pressed Bv Colleges B( fE/ iiu~soN The San Diego Union Education Writer Three of San Diego's four in- stitutions of higher learning are looking for new leadership. They aren't alone in their ef- forts. Several hundred other col- leges and universities in the na- tion are seeking new presiqents and chancellors. UCSD is looking for a new chancellor. The search has been under way since Dr. William J. McGill announced his resigna- tion early last spring so he could take the presidency of Columbia University. USDANDSDSC Less publicized have been the searches for new presidents for the Catholic-operated University ~f San Di';SO and for San Diego [ale. San Diego State is losing its resident of 18 years, Dr. Mal- ..:olm Love, to retirement. He as stayed two extra years at he request of the state college trustees. USD - that peaceful spot atop :me-inesa overlooking Mission ay and the west end of Mission alley - is quietly searching or a new president too. - It isn't losing either of the two presidents there now. Sister ancy Morris, president of the College for Women, and Msgr. ohn Baer, president of the Col- ge for Men, "ill both remain. USD is looking outside of reli- tious orders for a president as lhe result of recommendations by several management consult- nt firms. REGENTS CHOICE I USD is also moving toward a board of trustees with a major- jty of lay members, as opposed to a majority of priests and -nuns. Untouched by the search for academic leadership is United :States International University. UCSD, USD and San Diego State all expect to have their ew top administrative officers irmly sealed in office by next ,.fall when the new term starts. UCSD's choice will be made y the University of California egents after studying recom- mendations by a faculty-student ,search committee. A number of likely candidates ave been considered already "but it is not easy to find new hancellors that are fully quali- ..,fied," according to William rench Smith. chairman of the _;;regents. · 100 PROSPECTS Several local faculty members :are under consideration. San Diego State's search com- mittee has considered more {han 100 candidates, according to its chairman, Dr. C. Dale Johnson. The state college trustees will :;;make a selection after studying recommendati s of that com- mittee and one of the chancel- "".J.or's. The USD ,s arch committee has already begun the process of screenil)g nearly 200 candi- :dates - hut be.cause there is al- ready competent leadership there is no hurry to name a new president.

Additionally, all officers have takeµ instruc- tion in the use of tear gas, several have attend- ed an FBI class on bomb detection or studied bombings at an Army demolition school - and completion of college police science courses is a requisite for promotion. It was not always so. "When this campus started, it took over the existing security force at Scripps," Torrens said, a force consisting mainly of retired mili- tary men. Tn 1967, the university, in a move to upgrade police service on the nine campuses, hired con- sultants to study the situation and wound up implementing their recommendation that campus officers abandon the security guard concept and emerge as a practicing police force. Torrens said his goal now is to have all members of the department, including pre-1967 holdovers, academy-trained by Ji.it , a goal he may not reach because thr! a de · ·• operate only when city police and the sheriff's depart- (Cont. on Page B-10, Col 1)

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United States International University and San Diego State College - only the campus chief at USIU's Cal Western campus was muzzled by university officials, who also declined com- ment on their security operations. Cal Western is so s rjty-_mi.nded that each carload of visitors is sfupPect at a guardhouse known as "Checkpoint Charlie," staffed round the clock by security officers. CommaT\ded by M. E. "Earl" Torrens, who took over 2,~ years ago after retiring from a 21- year FBI career, the 20-man UCSD department is taking long strides toward profes- ionalization. The department combines a high level of training with what in Washington is now popu- larly called "keeping a low profile" by enforc- ing laws and leaving violations of adminis- trative regulations to college deans. All new men are sent either to the San Diego Police· Department's training academy or to the sheriff's academy for approximately 18 weeks of study in all areas of law enforce- ment.

By STEVE CASEY Some 1•hcre in that nebulous area between security guards and real policemen stand campus cops - men whose image has for years been a public relations man's night- mare. Pictured as tottering old men armed with llashlights and lists of archaic university rules, they have been considered at best in- effective and at worst dangerously inept. In these times of social change - formented, to some degree. on the campus - increasing demands for professional campus police forces have not gone unheeded. A new corp· o[ more disciplined, better paid anct better trained policeman is replacing the rent-a-cops so familiar to so many colleges for so long. Four locul college and univ r~ty police de- partments were contacted to determine their responses to this new move for better police service on campus. Of the four - the University of California at San Diego, the University of San Diego, the

EVE San Diego, Thursday, December 17, 1970 RENT-A-COPS REPLACED BY HIGHLY TRAINED OFFICERS C1ampus Security Forces 'Graduate' to Professi I G TRIBUNE ©

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from police work in a regular community in that, not only is the atmosphere different, but city police deal with people only briefly, and these people may leave town. "Here, we deal with a com- munity of students. And they'll all be here tomorrow," McGrath said. McGrath, a man who says he enjoys his job, said the stu- dent body is informed on campus activities, and a lack of secrecy among students, ad- ministrators and police makes for good reactions and little conflict at least so far. "I'm sure it's going lo be a quiet year," he said. No Violence Foreseen "The violent attitude doesn't seem to exist right now," he said, but he looked reflective as he wondered where it went. Another police chief who predicts a quiet year is Bob Lockhart of the University of San Diego. As head of the seven-man department which was formed only last September, replacing rent-a-cop forces retained by the university, Lockhart start- ed his own "low profile" pro- gram. Arms Carried at Night During the· daylight hours his men forsake the standard police· uniform for a blazer and slacks, and don't carry weapons until after the sun goes down. Because the university is a private institution, his men are not sworn peace officers, but are professional non- etheless. Each member of the depart- ment has signed an agreement to study at a local junior col- lege until he receives a degree in police science. Additionally, all will go through the San Diego departments academy for reserve officers. He has also instituted - al- though not yet implemented - a "joint security advisory board" composed of students, administrators and faculty members. In the event of trouble on campus, the board will meet to assess the situation before outside agencies are called in. A veteran of 10 years in se- curity work with the Marine Corps, Lockhart calls his rela- tions with students "out- standing."

ly to get excited about situ- ations," he said. A university administrator described a large student rally that could have set nerves of an uninitiated patrolman twitching, but said a campus policeman on the scene re- marked: "Oh, it's quiet. It's going to be a good day." Despite fringe elements who dislike police -any police - rapport between the campus fore:€ and students is "ex- cellent," Torrens said. "They recognize there is go- ing to have to be law enforce- ment. They want if for their protection, the protection of their property and university property. They recognize that the university police are a part of the university and ac- cept them as such," he said. Liaison Maintained In the event this rapport breaks down and a police problem beyond the scope of campus officers emerges, campus police maintain close liaison with city officers. "We have a fine relationship with them," Torrens said. "We handle the police work on campus, and call them only in an emergency." Torrens said when a poten- tial emergency is in the mak- ing, he advises city police so they can be prepared. Several times city officers have mass- ed near the university but have left without coming onto campus when the disturbances eased. Communications Open City police do have a right on campus, as the university is within city limits, but even when they come to make ar- rests on grand jury in- dictments campus officers are notified, Torrens said. To help prevent little prob- lems from blossoming into full-fledged turmoil, Torrens has opened his doors to any student who wants to discuss campus police. "I'm trying to keep us from growing apart," he said. "If people don't understand why we did something, rather than suspect an ulterior motive, I hope they'd come in and ask." SDSC Bllrs G1m The most strikir.g diff<>rencc betwPen police at U and San Diego State ' Hege is readily apparent. Cops on the state college campus pack no guns. ''Because of the campus en- vironment, we feel it's not a necessary part of the job to be armed." said Vincent McGrath, chief of campus se- curity. McGrat 0 runs a 20-man de-

CONTINUCO F-KOM rAGt.: 15•1

ment hlfc new recruit~. Once the new men are grad- uated, they become part of the only police agenct on campus, serving the 10,000 members of the university community In much the same way as a local police department serves town residents. Although the San Diego Po- lice Department shares Juris- diction on the campus with university police, policies of both agencies provide that city pohcc come on campus otJly when requested by the univer- sity Authority Clear So, for all the students , espe- cially the 2,000 students, facul- ty and families living on uni- versity grounds, the campus cops - not the San Diego Po- lice Department - are "the police." They respond 24 hours a day, seven d s a week, with more ol a fu range of police protection and ambulance ser- vice than offered in many communities of corresponding size. Although the force is small, and "everybody has to do all types of work," Torrens s aid four men ,)lave been specially trained in investigative proce- dures. Four Handle Investigations To these four falls the bulk of traffic accident and crimi- nal investigations. They look into burglaries, robberies, muggings. attacks, vandalism or other disturb- ances when and if they occur on campus.When necessary , they are aided by back-up lab- oratory crews or other in- vestigators from the city po- lice. But perhaps the most sensi- tive of the campus policc- man·s tasks, and the one that marks the difference between a university and a city police force. is handling of student unrest and civil disturbances.

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John Maxwell on the scenic cam- pus. Police there are full-fledged peace officers, more professional by far than in the past.

RAP SESSION - Russell Duncan, campus policeman at the University of California at San Diego, talks with students Steve Landau and

He, too, believes in keeping a low profile, and said the se- curity force gets involved in as administration-student few

men who have had at least one

partment from a clubbyhole office behind the information counter in the SDSC adminis- Nine of his men are peace officers empowered to wear sidearms, should the depart- ment chose to arm them. and are granted the power of ar- Six men regulate traffic and parking, a function left to oth- ers at UCSD, and the remain- ing five are campus guards. In contrast to the university system in which each campus police department is loosely tralion building. rest.

in police

year's experience

work.

Each new officer receives

conflicts as possible.

first aid,

in

training

basic

Police don't, however, duck

bomb search and detection methods, bomb shelter man- procedures before taking six months of on-the-job training. "I would say our standards are getting tougher," McGrath said. "we're now asking for agement and civil defense Most of his men are retired from military careers, more training."

students.

"We make it a point to be in areas where they can see us," McGrath said, adding police ambulance service offers a certain amount of exposure to Asked about campus police- relations, McGrath student the students.

and was at first cautious.

- "1-'m not going to step into

35.

is

age

average

their

that area," he said.

joined together through a coor- McGrath himself retired as a

"This force is accepted on campus," he later added. IJ1 shore pa- I Campus police work differs r, ight of

Navy chief warrant officer af-

dinator who heads the depart- meat on the Berkeley campus, each state college police de- partment is autonomous. McGrath said he is trying to send all his men to a training academy, but has not made man trol.

ter a 22-year ca those years \\1

state conege a maintenance

Coming to h

as

campus

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after retirement, such t~aining a requirement. McGrath has been police chief Instead he '.'refers to recruit for five years. --~-====::-,~--- -

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