New documents reveal safety concerns at UA campus

Published: Aug. 19, 2015 at 2:38 PM MST|Updated: Feb. 28, 2018 at 5:15 PM MST
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TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Results from a safety survey show University of Arizona students and staff would like to see more police officers around campus.

Tucson News Now obtained the results from the 2014 UAPD Citizen Survey which asked respondents to rate a variety of safety items on a scale of one to ten.

Of the 850 surveys that were distributed, 213 came back, which is a better than average return for the survey held every three years.

While UAPD scored high in overall performance with a 8.46 rating, 40 respondents suggested more officers, 56 respondents want to see officers using alternative patrols, and 49 respondents wanted to see more officer presence in residence halls.

"They're walking around. There's cars like constantly driving by," said incoming freshman, Katelyn Gandolfo. "They come in and introduce themselves, like I met one in the lobby one day."

UAPD told Tucson News Now that UA Residence Life covers overtime costs to place an extra four officers near dorms throughout the evenings on Thursdays through Sundays. Those special patrols will last through September 19th.

"I see officers all the time," said UA sophomore, Devin Hulsey. "They just walk around and make sure everything is going alright."

"When I was rushing I saw a lot, a police car pass like every few minutes I was kind of alarmed," said incoming freshman, Betsie Dreis.

Police will be more visible especially in the next week as UAPD participates in a number of orientations to gives lessons on sexual assault prevention and protecting property. Bike theft is a problem the campus battles every year.

Consistency in enforcement was also desired, with concerns that officers might handle calls at residence halls with varying degrees of seriousness.

A letter by Accreditation Manager, Paula Dorer, included one survey comment reading:

"The behavior and attitude of officers is not consistent when responding to RA reported incidents. Some officers are good at supporting RAs, while others give a half-hearted effort."

The number one concern of students and staff that filled out surveys was crimes against people, followed by crimes against property.

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