WUPD joins area police to patrol the Loop, Skinker-DeBaliviere
Posted September 25, 2009 at 1:29 am
Updated September 27, 2009 at 1:55 pm
A University City Police Officer patrols the Loop in his squad car Sept. 22. In response to increased crime, local police departments have stepped up the number of patrols in the area. (Mariam Shasavarani | Student Life)
Students can expect to see Washington University police officers patrolling past Blueberry Hill by the end of the semester.
This fall, the Washington University Police Department is teaming up with officers from University City and St. Louis to form joint enforcement patrols in the Skinker-DeBaliviere and Delmar neighborhoods.
“There are times when you can partner together and maximize your resources,” Chief of Police Don Strom said. “I think this affords us an opportunity to do that, recognizing that we all have a very vested interest in the success of the Delmar Loop and the neighborhoods around it.”
The joint patrols, which are still being finalized logistically, will involve police officers from the University and surrounding cities patrolling the areas together. The aim is to facilitate inter-city security enforcement.
Legal issues related to officers’ jurisdiction when outside their base areas of operation are also being worked out.
“We’re looking to prepare some memorandums of understanding that would better articulate some of the jurisdictional issues,” Strom said.
Joint patrols are part of a larger partnership
The joint patrols come as part of a broader effort at collaboration between the University and University City police departments.
Last April, the University seeded a $40,000 pilot project for University City to enhance its police presence in the Loop. The University’s support came at the request of University City.
A significant part of the seed money went toward funding overtime pay for University City police officers.
Cheryl Adelstein, director of community relations and local government affairs at the University, said having officers work overtime was the most practical way for University City to increase its patrols in the Delmar and Skinker-DeBaliviere areas.
“Those departments don’t have just people that patrol those streets—they have beats,” Adelstein said. “So in order to get the kind of coverage that we were looking to have, you needed designated people. Those designated people, because nobody has huge police departments anymore, were basically on overtime.”
The University’s seed money also went toward funding four Cannondale bicycles for University City officers to ride while on patrol.
Heightened security seems to be making the Loop safer
Other security measures have been taken in addition to increased patrol officers in the area.
University-funded closed circuit TV cameras were installed on the Loop earlier this year, and the University City curfew was tightened last spring.
Previously, city curfew for those 16 years of age and under was from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays and midnight to 6 a.m. on weekends. Now, curfew for minors in that age group is 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. seven days a week, unless they are on business or accompanied by an adult.
Together with the increased security patrols, these measures seem to be making the Loop area safer, some students said.
Senior Courtney Tydus, who lives in the University Terrace apartments just off Delmar, said she feels safe living in the area, especially with the heavy police presence.
“I do feel relatively safe,” she said. “I’ve lived off campus in other neighborhoods, and I feel like it’s comparable safety-wise.”
Strom said he is unable to speak on behalf of University City to discuss recent trends in crime in the area, but from his perspective, security around Delmar seems to be improving.
“If you look at just a snapshot of crime in the area—comparing 2009 to 2008—there’s some promising results in there,” he said.
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On September 25, 2009 at 9:59 am Donald Stahl said
It’s good to know that “legal issues” are “being worked out.” I would hate to think that some petty thing like that could get in way of a good head-busting when it’s needed.
On September 25, 2009 at 10:34 am
Jerome Bauer said
Hear Hear! Here Here!
Lecturer Dr. Jerome Bauer
On September 25, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Caleb Posner said
CCTV cameras and enhanced curfew regulations…that seems likely to make Delmar safer. Or, you know, it might just be a horrid violation of the civil liberties of the innocent done with the absurd intention of creating a false sense of security among the specially privileged.
On September 26, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Jerome Bauer said
WUPD and other police are sure Johnny on the spot when you need them, and we can be grateful for that, but those cameras surely have other uses.
Isn’t it good to be posting under our real names? I just read Caleb Posner’s blog about censorship in Student Life, and I posted it to my Facebook profile. I don’t know if liberal politics have ruined Student Life, but I don’t like censorship either. Nor do I like police brutality and the suppression of unpopular views (such as Donald Stahl’s).
On September 27, 2009 at 7:55 pm Katy Gaines said
As a student living off campus two blocks from Delmar it makes me glad to here that security is being improved. While to some of you, think this is just “a good head-busting” to those of us who are personally acquainted with the crime in this area, and are tried of feeling unsafe leaving are cars parked, this is something to celebrate.