Program Highlights
Organization
In 2016, Captain Her, was asked to serve as Interim Chief of Police for a second time. Dr. Albert Vasquez accepted a position with UC Riverside.
Police Operations
The Police Department’s Operations Division consists of uniformed police officers, an Investigation Unit, Community Service Officers (CSOs) and community outreach services. The division continues to be a leader in community oriented policing through its various focused outreach activities and through its holistic approach to law enforcement in a university setting.
The department’s uniformed police officers are responsible for patrolling the university campus and off-campus facilities. They also patrol in patrol vehicles, on foot, and on bicycles. The officers are the first responders to all incidents on campus and handle various criminal and non-criminal matters. Additionally, they are also involved in coordinating many of the departments outreach and educational programs including the Mentor Program, Citizen Police Academy, Violent Intruder Response Training (VIRT) and Rape Aggression Defense (RAD).
The Investigation unit consists of a detective with general supervision from the police captain. The detective conducts complex criminal investigations and follow-up investigations on cases generated by patrol officers. The detective also services victims of crimes as a single point of contact as their cases progresses through the criminal justice system. The division’s investigative efforts have helped to minimize the university’s financial loss due to theft, property damage, lost productivity and unnecessary exposure to liability.
Police Mentor Program
Under the guidance of UC Merced Police staff, the mentors serve as positive role models for at-risk youth showing them that through education and hard work, the youngster’s dreams are possible. The program helps parents, schools, and the community invest in the future of our community through our children. Mentors provide a positive alternative to negative influences such as gangs, drugs, and crime. The program opens doors to higher education, which many elementary school students don't realize exist or feel is out of reach for them.
Community Service Officer (CSO Program)
The CSOs are student employees and provide a wide range of department services to the community. Those services include safety escorts on campus, bicycle and electronic registration, security at university events on and off campus, and safety and education programs focused around community awareness.
CSO event programmers are widely utilized to promote the department’s services and to educate the community about public safety issues. CSO Web/Social Media assistants also promote the department’s services through the department’s website and social media. CSOs assigned to Administration perform live scans and help process Lost and Found.
This year, the CSO program provided the following:
- 1225 Safety Escorts
- 179 Public Assists
- 5,266.25 Patrol hours worked
- 3,657.75 Admin hours worked
- 531 Bike/Electronic Items Registered
Citizen Police Academy
The Citizen Police Academy educates community participants about various aspects of law enforcement and community service. Participants are exposed to a variety of topics through classroom discussions, presentations and interactive exercises including scenarios. This program is designed to provide participants with a better understanding of the criminal justice system and how it relates to law enforcement in a university setting. The program has received recognition by the California State Legislature.
Campus Training/Education
Throughout the year, Police Operations provides topic specific trainings and educational opportunities for community members. Training requests can be made by individuals, campus department, community groups and student groups.
The department had 86 training and educational presentations throughout 2016. Training programs and educational opportunities offered throughout the year include:
- Duress Alarm Procedures trainings
- Workplace and Personal Safety Presentations
- Violent Intruder Response Training (VIRT)
- Alcohol Awareness Week
- Spring and Fall Student Orientations
- Rape Aggression Defense
Internal Collaborations and Partnerships
The Department works with other campus units and is part of a number of committees and groups to help the university fulfill its mission and achieve its goals. Some of these partnerships include:
- Student Response Team
- Parking Advisory Committee
- Project 2020
- Undocumented Student Advisory Committee
- Fleet Safety Committee
- New Student Orientation Planning
- Behavioral Intervention Team
- Commencement 2015
- Clery Act Compliance Committee
- Staff Advisor to Student Organization
- Numerous Student Events
External Collaboration and Partnerships
The Department works with other public safety agencies, community groups and entities outside of the university to help the university fulfill its mission and achieve its goals. Some of these partnerships include:
- Crime Stoppers: Countywide Criminal Investigation
- Re-Direct: Youth Crime Prevention Effort
- DVRT: Countywide Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Investigations Response Team
- Cal Maci: Countywide Missing Children Investigation
- ComVIP- Community Violence Intervention Program
- Strategic Prevention Framework State Initiative Grant (SPFSIG)
- AVOID 11 Countywide DUI Enforcement Effort
- Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run
- Merced County Chief’s and Sheriff’s Association
Police Support Services
Police Support Services consist of police dispatch and the administrative staff within the police department. This area is also responsible for police records, evidence control, Livescan services, and the campus lost and found. In 2016, this area re-classified a Records Evidence Technician and promoted a supervisor, Reannon Cook. Reannon is a founding member of the police department. She was hired as a police dispatcher in 2005.
Detailed information about UC Merced Police Department is available at http://police.ucmerced.edu. You can also learn more about the 2020 Project at: http://opb.ucmerced.edu/2020-project
Summary
As the 2020 campus project gains momentum in 2017, the department is working to make sure that it is positioned to provide the very best police services possible. It is looking to grant opportunities, partnerships, and innovative practices to be on the cutting edge of police service. The men and women of the department know the challenges they face with this growth and see them as opportunities to think outside the box.