While the Campus Police force is small, with only six staff members, they play an outsized role in keeping the WNMU campus safe. “We are a full-service police department,” said Barbara Perez, WNMU Campus Security Specialist, “We handle all the cases, whether they are an offense report or an accident report, or just general information reports, we take care of all of it.”
The officers are all retired from other police forces, said Patrolman Joseph Arredondo. “We do come with a lot of experience,” he said, “Any situation that arises, it’s not new to us.” All of the officers are certified through the state of New Mexico, Arredondo added.
According to Perez, the most common type of crime on campus is theft, which is also the easiest to prevent. “We try to put it out there to make sure your doors are locked,” she said. Arredondo added that when crime occurs, it is commonly because the dorm entrance doors are propped open. While the exterior doors lock automatically, that safety feature cannot work when doors are propped open.
Arredondo noted that crime on campus is rarely perpetrated by students. “Nine times out of ten, it’s a local” committing the crime.
There are several steps that students can take to make themselves safer on campus. Arredondo said that students from large cities often have the misconception that in a small town like Silver City, they do not have to think about crime. “Crime still does occur in this little town,” he said, advocating common sense as a strong preventative tool. “Lock your car doors. Put your valuables away,” he advises, “Don’t leave your phone on the center console of your car when you are going to class. Don’t make yourself an easy target.”
Another step that students can take to stay safe on campus is to not opt out of Rave Alert. Rave Alert is an emergency communication system that allows university students and employees to receive text alerts during emergency situations. “We have a lot of people that are not [signed up for] the alert system,” said Arredondo.
People should also remain aware of their surroundings, said Perez. If you notice suspicious activity, move to a safe location and report it.
Not all of the duties of the Campus Police involve crime. According to Perez and Arredondo, there are a number of important functions they serve that are not widely known, such as providing escorts for anyone who does not feel safe walking on campus alone, assisting with lockouts of vehicles, rooms, or buildings, and providing electrical jumping services when drivers find their vehicle batteries drained.
The Campus Police also test and maintain the emergency call boxes on campus, which allow anyone to directly access 911, even if they do not have a mobile phone with them.
Arredondo and Perez agree that the members of their team enjoy a level of camaraderie and professionalism that has developed over time. They both credited Police Chief Eddie Flores for fostering a healthy working environment, which allows them to be more effective in their roles. “We work really well together, all of us,” said Perez.
Their goal is not only to provide needed safety services but also to outreach to the WNMU community, said Perez. “We try to make sure [WNMU community members] know where they can get help whenever they need it,” she said.
