Spring Break
OPS: Keeping Students Safe
Issue date: 8/29/08 Section: News
Editor's note: The following is a letter written by the Director of The Office of Public Safety to both students and faculty in regard to safe living on the Western Illinois University campus.
Dear Campus Community:
As a new academic year begins, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome new and returning students, faculty and staff to Western Illinois University and to inform the campus community of the services and assistance available through Western's Office of Public Safety.
While our police officers wear many hats and juggle a multitude of responsibilities, their job first and foremost is to ensure the safety and security of students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. The department employs 25 fulltime officers and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week from Mowbray Hall on the WIU-Macomb campus.
In addition to routine patrol, OPS dispatches officers to the street on foot and bicycles, as well as in the residence halls nightly. The officers also provide security and traffic control at University events; provide transportation to the hospital; conduct building safety checks; host educational and safety-related programming; and supervise student patrol and emergency medical services on campus.
Western's Student Patrol is available to provide escorts on campus during the evening to early morning hours. Student Patrol can be reached by calling OPS at (309) 298-1949. If a Student Patrol member is not available, OPS officers will also provide escorts on campus.
There are 51 emergency callboxes at strategic locations throughout campus. Without dialing, the caller is immediately in contact with OPS; the location of the call is automatically recorded and response is almost immediate. Public Safety may also be reached in an emergency by dialing 9-1-1 from any campus phone. In a non-emergency, the number is (309) 298-1949.
There are a number of steps you should take to safeguard yourselves and your valuables:
Dear Campus Community:
As a new academic year begins, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome new and returning students, faculty and staff to Western Illinois University and to inform the campus community of the services and assistance available through Western's Office of Public Safety.
While our police officers wear many hats and juggle a multitude of responsibilities, their job first and foremost is to ensure the safety and security of students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. The department employs 25 fulltime officers and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week from Mowbray Hall on the WIU-Macomb campus.
In addition to routine patrol, OPS dispatches officers to the street on foot and bicycles, as well as in the residence halls nightly. The officers also provide security and traffic control at University events; provide transportation to the hospital; conduct building safety checks; host educational and safety-related programming; and supervise student patrol and emergency medical services on campus.
Western's Student Patrol is available to provide escorts on campus during the evening to early morning hours. Student Patrol can be reached by calling OPS at (309) 298-1949. If a Student Patrol member is not available, OPS officers will also provide escorts on campus.
There are 51 emergency callboxes at strategic locations throughout campus. Without dialing, the caller is immediately in contact with OPS; the location of the call is automatically recorded and response is almost immediate. Public Safety may also be reached in an emergency by dialing 9-1-1 from any campus phone. In a non-emergency, the number is (309) 298-1949.
There are a number of steps you should take to safeguard yourselves and your valuables:
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