While students and faculty are resting and relaxing over the upcoming spring break later this month, San Diego City College Campus Police will be on the move – literally.
After several months of delay, Campus Police will finally move to their new home in the recently opened Career Technology Center, or V building, at the corner of 16th Street and C Street.
The move is scheduled over break to avoid disruption to service deliveries at City College.
The two-floor office, located on the south side of the V building, had remained vacant since the start of the fall semester because of a “radio dead zone” on the lower, or basement, level of the building.
Though the dead zone only affected “a small area in the basement,” according to campus project manager Thomas Fine, “police tested the radio transmission and determined that it needed a boost.”
Last fall, Fine stated that he expected the work at the station to be completed in time for police to move at the end of the fall 2010 semester. However, as Lt. Jack Doherty of Campus Police explained, the “radio construction contract had to go through a public bid process, which is time-consuming.”
Doherty explained that this academic year, City College’s resources, like Campus Police, have been stretched considerably due to the increasing challenges of operating a public community college in a highly urban area.
Doherty added that campus police are doing more than ever to keep the learning environment safe for everyone.
For instance, starting this semester, police added two new members to the College Police Bike Team. The new members, along with a seasoned bike team officer, are now working Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., when classes are in session.
Since the new police substation is located at a further point from the center of campus than the current location in the T building, Lt. Doherty said his department compensated by creating “overlapping shifts so one or more officers would always be in the field.”
According to Doherty, Campus Police will also be adding laptops to cars so officers can write reports without returning to the station. They are also working with “campus administration to create a small police presence in the cafeteria to make it easier for students to talk with an officer,” Doherty said.
Students can keep (619) 388-6405, the Campus Police number, programmed in their cell phones and are asked to be proactive when seeing suspicious activity.
“City College occupies . 20 city blocks,” said Lt. Doherty. “To be most effective . police need extra eyes and ears.”
After the move is completed during spring break, the campus community will be able to meet Doherty and the rest of the Campus Police during an open house where tours will be given.
