T
he UW Police Department recognizes the
value of community policing in a campus setting and to that end, four police
officers are currently assigned geographical areas of responsibility for
community interaction, crime prevention, and problem solving. The
Lower Campus
Community Officer is responsible for the area north of University Ave and east
of Bascom Hill and includes the Memorial Union, Memorial Library, and continuous
collaboration with the Madison Police Officers who work in the State and Langdon
Street areas. The South East Campus Community Officer is responsible for all
areas south of University Ave. and west to Randall Ave. The
Central Campus
Community Officer is responsible for the area and academic buildings in the
center of Campus, including Bascom and Van Hise Halls. The
University Apartments
Community Officer is responsible for the Eagle Heights and University Houses
student family housing of over 1250 families on the far west side of the Campus.
One of the key concepts used frequently in Community Policing is the idea of Problem Oriented Policing, which takes a “co-active” approach to problem-solving by partnering with community members to prevent and solve crime. Officers use the “SARA” model pioneered by Dr. Herman Goldstein of the University of Wisconsin to aid them in this effort. The acronym SARA stands for “Scan, Analyze, Respond, and Assess.” The use of each of these steps ensures a logical and effective approach to problem-solving instead of the old “band-aid” approach, where officers responded repeatedly to either a problem location or a problem individual in an effort to temporarily restore order but not to necessarily identify and eliminate the root cause of the re-occurring problem.
Community Police Officers attend specialized
training to assist them in their efforts and develop valuable relationships with
other service and law enforcement agencies and community members to advance
Departmental and community goals. They are also very involved in the education
and training of community members and in spearheading new programs and
policies. We hope to facilitate the building of partnerships within the
community that will allow community members to identify and solve problems in
creative ways, thereby empowering them and allowing them to rely less on the
sometimes limited resources of law enforcement. Recent examples of success in
these efforts are the development of emergency plans for campus day care
facilities and the Campus “Badger Watch” program. Of course, Community Police
Officers count on all members of the Department to assist them in their goals,
including the Detective Bureau, Planning and Development, and other patrol and
liaison officers.
