Security aides try to prevent conflicts

by Tim Pappa
Staff Writer

During the day, Ohio University junior Phil Gillogly slumps in his chair playing computer games, riding out the afternoon in his Johnson Hall dorm room. 

But at night, Gillogly and many of his peers ­ armed with a radio, flashlight, and bright green jacket ­ roam the hallways and walkways of East Green as Residence Life security aides.

“We’re not cops,” Gillogly said.  “We’re just regular students looking out for other students.”

Recently, two alleged rapes and an alleged hate crime have been reported. While Residence Life has not changed its routes, it is on increased awareness of campus crime.

The service started in 1975. Every night, three pairs of security aides patrol each green, making rounds in the buildings and around them. They work until 2 a.m. during the week and 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights.

Gillogly said the security aides try to be out on the greens more than inside. The service drive behind Lincoln Hall, the reported site of the alleged hate crime, is a part of the route.

“With only three pairs of two covering an entire green, we can’t be everywhere at once,” he said. “But we try.”

Barbara Harrison, Residence Life associate director, said it is important to realize that the security aides are not trained to be police officers.

“We train them as resident assistants, teaching them how to deal with a policy confrontation,” Harrison said. “They are there to conduct help.”

Once a security aide comes across a questionable situation, such as illegal activity, the aide contacts the OU Police Department. This happens frequently, Harrison said.

OU policemen patrol campus at all times on foot, on bike and in their cruisers.

The Campus Escort Service is another assistance OU provides for students. The service offers free rides to students from anywhere on campus to get them home safely.

“There’s no place we can’t get to within five minutes,” said Mark Mathews, assistant director of Campus Safety. “We take as many calls as we can at one time, and then map out the most efficient route.”

Mathews said the Campus Escort Service is separate from the OUPD; the drivers are not police officers. The escort service, which operates from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends, is based in Scott Quad.

Each driver is given a background check before being hired, Mathews said. Each car also comes equipped with a radio to contact OUPD in case the driver witnesses any problems.

“I train them not to be police officers, and not security aides, but drivers,” he said. “I train them to get from point A to point B.”