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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 1986)
uated in August with a degree in thing and tell exactly whose it sociology, is a patrolman and is.” field training officer. She says Dunlap says the main corn- being a student has helped her plaint is the parking shortage on relate to the students she en- campus. A parking garage is in counters while on the job. the planning stages, she says, “I can understand what’s but in the meantime, students going on a little more,” Scott needed a temporary solution, says. “I know what they are The University Police initiated going through and I can talk to and implemented the idea of in- them a little easier. ” tracampus buses that allow stu- D.J. Dunlap, desk sergeant, dents to park across the tracks is a graduate student in socio- and ride the bus to class. Dun- logy. She was born and raised lap says she feels the plan has in College Station and her fa- been a success, ther is an A&M professor. She says the constant influx of new That feeling of success seems people and ideas keeps her job to permeate the entire depart- interesting. ment. “We’ve got a lot of people Ragan proudly points out the who are not set solid in their fact that the hiring requirements ways,” Dunlap says. “Everyone of the University Police are is receptive to new ideas and tougher than state require- we’re always trying to strive for ments. something better. ” The state requires officers to She says the effort is paying have a high school diploma or off. GED equivalent. The University “We’re succeeding in trying Police, in addition, require at to better ourselves,” Dunlap least some college hours, Ragan says. “We’re growing in leaps says. Officers are encouraged, and bounds and improving ev- but not required, to get a de- eryday.” gree. Despite the growth, Phillips According to Ragan, all offi- says many students complain cers must go through a rigid hir- that the department can’t per- ing process that includes a state form the supersleuth feats entrance exam, a background pulled off by T.V. cops. investigation, two oral review “Students watch T.V.,” Phil- boards, a psychological exami- lips says, “and assume that you nation and a ten-week basic can lift a fingerprint off some- training course. Battalion file photo Parking patrol officers are responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations for campus parking. In addition, new officers at And those good officers en- A&M must go through 16 joy working for A&M and its weeks of field training with an students, experienced officer to better Detective William Scott be- prepare them for the situations gan working for the University they may encounter, Ragan Police in May, 1979. His father is an A&M professor. He says he enjoys the diversity of work ing in a “human factor” job. “I don’t know from one day to the next what’s going to be on my desk,” Scott says. “We handle anything from murder, suicide and rape all the way down to stolen purses. ” Although most of what they deal with is very serious, Scott remembers an amusing incident that happened in 1983. An A&M professor was out of the country and his secretary was handling his mail for him. She came across a bulky enve lope with a suspicious ticking sound coming from inside. As suming it was some sort of bomb, she immediately called the University Police. Taking no chances, the police called the bomb squad in from Fort Hood. Scott says everyone was shocked and a little embar rassed when the “bomb” turned out to be a greeting card that played “Happy Birthday. ” Scott still keeps the device in his scrapbook, and it still plays. “We’re very happy with the (16 week training) program,” Ragan says. “It’s turned out some good officers. ” In addition to regular patrol duty, university police help students with problems such as starting a stalled car.