

                                                                  
                         CAMPUS SECURITY:
                         THE MULE PATROL                           

                               By

                         James A. Huff
                    Director, Public Safety
    Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri               
    
                                                              
     Rumors of rape being committed at Central Missouri State 
University in Warrensburg, Missouri, created tremendous public 
relations problems for the university.  And, even though 
subsequent investigations proved these allegations to be false, 
the rumors could not be quelled.                                  

     To counter the damaging effects, the Department of Public 
Safety initiated a series of public relations efforts.  The 
department believed that meetings with the news media, the 
Neighborhood Watch Program, and crime prevention and rape 
awareness presentations would alleviate the problem.              

     Unfortunately, this was not the case.  Despite all the  
public relations announcements and awareness presentations, the 
rumors prevailed and the university community wanted more. 
Students demanded that campus police patrol residence halls and 
parking lots more frequently.  Faculty and staff members also 
made similar requests for academic and office buildings.  But, 
because campus crime did not statistically increase in recent  
years, hiring additional officers could not be justified.         

     As a result, the administrative staff of the Department of 
Public Safety explored other alternatives.  One viable option 
was to establish a student security patrol.  A number of 
universities used student patrols to supplement their campus 
police forces with positive results.  However, before initiating 
such a program at the university, several areas needed to be 
addressed:                                                        

     .  How would the security patrol be funded?                     

     .  What name would be given to the patrol?                      

     .  How would the student employees be identified as members
        of a student security force?
                                         
     .  What would their responsibilities be?                        

     .  How many students would be hired, and what would be their 
        qualifications?                                                   

     These questions needed to be answered before any further 
planning could continue.                                    

Funding                                                           

     In 1985 the Director of Public Safety received permission to 
implement a student security force to assist the campus police, 
with one provision.  Because of fiscal constraints, no State 
funding could be used in support of the project.  Funding would 
have to come from other sources within the university, especially 
those operating within the auxiliary budget.                      

     One main area of the university that needed additional 
security was the 60 campus parking lots, in view of the recent 
increase of vandalism and theft from vehicles, especially at 
night.  Therefore, funding for 50 percent of the student security 
force came from the parking lot operation, which is a budgeted 
auxiliary service.                                                

     The Department of Residential Life, which has
responsibility for all residence halls, is also an auxiliary
enterprise.  And, because the students requested more foot
patrols within the residence halls, funding from this source was
also targeted.  After realizing the benefits an added sense of
security would project to the students living on campus, the
Director of Residential Life agreed to fund the remaining 50
percent of the student security force.  The biggest hurdle,
funding, had just been cleared.

What's in a Name                                                  

     Choosing a name for the student security force was the next 
consideration.  The name selected had to be one that would lend 
an esprit de corps.  After much deliberation, the student 
security force was named the Mule Patrol, since the university's 
mascot is the mule.                                       

Identification                                                    

     The university believed that it was important for Mule 
Patrol officers to wear uniforms, but the uniform had to be 
easily distinguishable from the navy blue uniform of the 
university police.  The uniform selected for the Mule Patrol 
consists of a white shirt, black pants, and a baseball-type hat.  
Sewn on the shirt is the Mule Patrol patch.              

Responsibilities of the Mule Patrol                               

     One critical question was, ``What would be the job 
responsibilities of the Mule Patrol?''  To arrive at an answer, 
university administrators asked various campus groups what 
security measures they would like to see implemented.  The 
feedback revealed that high visibility on campus was the primary 
concern.                                                          

     To define more specific responsibilities of the Mule Patrol, 
coordinators interviewed the student patrol force of another 
university campus.  This student patrol force operated 
successfully for several years.  However, what works well for one 
campus may not work at all for another.  Fortunately, this was 
not the case.  Many of the concepts and ideas of the veteran 
student patrol force were incorporated into the Mule Patrol.      

     The job responsibilities and regulations for the Mule Patrol 
were defined and implemented.  Specifically, Mule Patrol 
officers:                                                         

     .  Do not carry weapons of any type                             

     .  Have no arrest powers.  Their primary function is to observe 
        and report                                                        

     .  Cannot leave their assigned patrol area without permission 
        of their supervisor                                               
 
     .  Are under the direction of the Department of Public Safety   

     .  Must be courteous and professional at all times, especially 
        with the public                                                   
 
     .  Must render assistance to everyone to the best of their 
        ability                                                           

Mule Patrol officers are expected to adhere to higher standards 
as compared to other student employee positions on the campus.    

Selection Process                                                 

     To begin, the university set specific qualifications for 
Mule Patrol officers.  First, the student must be enrolled at
the university and have completed at least 30 hours with a
minimum grade point average of 2.3.  Also, a criminal justice
major was not a prerequisite.  And, although not a requirement
for the position, the Department of Public Safety preferred to
hire students who demonstrated active involvement in college
life, such as members of activity groups or residence hall
councils.

     After meeting the necessary qualifications, the student 
then appears before an oral selection committee composed of 
students, faculty and staff.  This allows the committee to 
determine an applicant's views about the position.  It also 
provides insight into the applicant's personality, community 
service commitment and attitudes about the university and the 
public safety department.  After the oral selection process, a 
background investigation is conducted on each applicant to assure 
that the applicant has not been involved in any illegal activity.  

On Patrol                                                         

     The Mule Patrol can be described as students protecting
students.  They patrol the academic buildings, residence halls
and parking lots and report any suspicious or criminal activity
that they witness.  Their equipment consists of a flashlight and
a two-way portable radio, which allows them to talk on the
police frequency to the dispatcher, campus police patrol
vehicles, and city police patrol vehicles.  There are four Mule
Patrol officers on duty each night when the university is in
session.

     Mule Patrol officers are assigned to one of four zones when 
they report for duty.  Within each zone are specific buildings, 
parking lots, and athletic areas that they are required to 
patrol.  If a particular area within the zones has a specific 
security problem, this information is noted at the beginning of 
each shift and relayed to the Mule Patrol officer assigned to 
that zone at the beginning of the following shift.  Mule Patrol 
officers are also required to report any safety-related problems 
that they may encounter, such as hazardous materials improperly 
secured or stored and inoperative fire alarm systems or fire 
extinguishers.  Mule Patrol officers also provide crowd control 
and security at concerts and major athletic events.  Many times, 
they team up with police officers.  Future plans are being made 
to have them assist in the dispatch centers as back-up 
dispatchers.                                                      

     Mule Patrol officers do not write parking tickets or perform 
other such negative duties.  The department believes that if the 
Mule Patrol officers are not given any negative responsibilities, 
the student body and the university community would view the 
project in a more positive light, an assumption proven to be 
correct.                                                       

Project's Expectations                                            

     The Mule Patrol project has been in place for a little more 
than 3 years and has met and even exceeded the department's 
expectations.  Within the first few months, the rumors of rapes 
on campus were virtually eliminated.  The entire campus community 
soon realized that there were people patrolling the campus on 
foot each night.                                                  

     The Mule Patrol has also been instrumental in apprehending 
several automobile thieves who were working university parking 
lots.  The Patrol has also gathered information that helped to 
solve a variety of crimes, such as burglaries, larcenies, and 
drug cases.  The Department of Public Safety has also used Mule 
Patrol personnel on surveillance exercises, especially in parking 
lots, with excellent results.  Mule Patrol officers also serve as 
excellent ambassadors for the department in its recruiting 
efforts for various positions.  These procedures have reduced the 
amount of overtime required for police officers and, thus, have 
saved the university money and reduced officer burnout.           

     Currently, project expansion is under way because the Mule 
Patrol program has been so successful and beneficial.  The 
university now realizes that a student security force acts as 
additional eyes and ears to the regular university police force. 
In fact, during the past academic year, the number of Mule Patrol 
officers increased from 12 to 16.                                 

Conclusion                                                        

     Thorough planning and positive supervision have contributed 
to the success of the Mule Patrol.  However, student security 
officers must know the importance of their jobs to the academic 
community, and that they are a vital part of a team.  After all, 
they are not only representing the university and the Department 
of Public Safety, but most importantly, they are representing 
themselves.                                                       

     The positive aspects of the Mule Patrol are clearly
evident.  The rumors of rapes on campus have been eliminated,
and the campus community now enjoys a heightened sense of
security.  The Mule Patrol officers have become more personally
involved and more serious about their responsibilities to the
campus community.  But, the most positive byproduct of the Mule
Patrol program is that students are protecting students.
