Monday, September 28, 1998
…and to serve
STUDENTS: The students in this program are there to help you
out
By Lawrence Ferchaw
Daily Bruin Staff
When a community service officer (CSO) was attacked at
Schoenberg Hall in January, it was only the second time an officer
had been assaulted in the program’s 21-year history.
The incident pushed the program’s coordinators to issue pepper
spray to the students who act as the "eyes and ears of UCLA."
Before the attack, program organizers had looked into issuing
pepper spray, but that incident and the fact that other schools in
the area had begun using it helped spur their decision.
"Other schools set the precedent, and we could not justify not
having it," said Scott Schafer, field operations coordinator for
the program.
The CSO program has a variety of services aimed at increasing
safety on campus. Among the programs, officers operate an evening
van service Mondays through Thursdays, escort people on campus
after dark, patrol the residence halls with resident assistants and
patrol the campus by bicycle.
The program employs full-time UCLA students, who are paid $7.25
per hour to start, and up to nearly $10 per hour with
promotions.
This rate places them above many on-campus jobs, but just
getting hired requires a test and an extensive interview to
evaluate communication skills among other areas.
Successful applicants then spend two weeks in rigorous training
under a student training officer.
Part of this training includes knowledge of the campus
geography, radio communication and crime reporting.
"Being a CSO is mental, not physical," Schafer said.
For their test, new officers go through what is known as
incident training, where they are faced with different situations
and forced to react to incidents they could encounter in the field.
This comes before a written test, which is the last step to
becoming a CSO.
"The training here is pretty intensive," said Erick Shin, a
fifth-year economics student and a supervisor in the CSO
program.
Shin has been a CSO for three years, and he said the attack
changed his perception on his job.
"I became more aware, not that I became fearful. It made me
realize that things like that can happen," he said.
New officers are required to carry pepper spray, while it is an
option for officers taking part in the program before the policy
was enacted. Officers undergo a two-hour training session to use
the pepper spray.
No CSO has had to use their pepper spray while on duty, but many
CSOs pointed to the radios on their hips for their feeling of
safety.
"I’ve never felt nervous or worried about safety as long as I
have my radio," said CSO Anton Jongeneel after escorting a student
to her apartment.
Another CSO agreed and added that skills she learned in training
help as well.
"Between the (radio) and observation skills, it’s rare to find
myself in situation where I feel nervous," said Sharon Brady, a CSO
on bike patrol.
CSOs are constantly in contact with each other and their
dispatcher over the radio. The program recently upgraded its radio
system to improve range and clarity.
The new radios also have an emergency button which, when
pressed, alerts the dispatcher, who will send police officers to
the last reported location of the CSO.
Officers also radio the dispatcher when they see suspicious
activities or people. The dispatcher then passes along the
information to the university police to handle the situation.
Schafer calls this "verbal judo," emphasizing the importance of
using the radios rather than getting involved and potentially
becoming a victim.
CSOs cannot make arrests nor give parking tickets because their
job as campus observers is to deter crime by providing a visible
presence of law enforcement.
CSOs primarily work alone because there isn’t a need for two
officer units, Schafer said.
When officers do go into the field together, as they do in the
residence halls during the summer, they pass the time by talking,
often joking.
Samantha Ivers stressed the importance of getting along with her
fellow officers, especially during the uneventful nights of
summer.
"It’s extremely important … you have to get along," Ivers
said.
In fact, officers say the camaraderie is the favorite part of
their job, both with fellow officers and with the people whose
safety they work for.
"I get a very good response, especially in the hospital. The
majority are families who are unfamiliar with the area. They’re
glad for help," Shin said.
Jongeneel recalled times walking with the families of hospital
patients and having them cry while he escorted them.
But, Jongeneel emphasized the importance of talking with the
people he escorts.
"A minute or two without talking can be uncomfortable,"
Jongeneel said. He added that making the person more at ease
increases the likelihood that the person will use the service
again.
The evening escort service is only one of the most visible
services of the CSO program, with over 16,000 people served each
year, according to the CSO office.
With as many as 120 students serving as CSOs, they also monitor
evening access to campus buildings and offer a property marking
service to deter theft.
The bicycle program, which recently received a number of
motorized bikes as part of a grant from the Air Quality Management
District, is also a visible part of the program.
"During the day, it’s a public relations thing, we give
directions and patrol parking structures," CSO Brady said.
The CSO program also focuses on public relations, which Schafer
said aims to break down the boundaries between students and law
enforcement.
"It’s less imposing to have CSOs walking in residence halls than
uniformed officers," Schafer said.
But the focus is always on crime prevention, he added.
"Imagine people walking home at night without CSOs; it just
screams opportunities for sexual assaults and robberies," Schafer
said.CHARLES KUO
Community Service Officer Anton Jongeneel makes sure his escort
arrives safely at her door before he leaves.
CHARLES KUO
CSO and fourth year student Samantha Ivers patrols Hedrick Hall
with her partner.
Related site:
“¢bull;CSO programs at UCLA
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