Ohio University students would see more cops around campus under an OU Police Department proposal to hire an additional five sworn officers, a notion that has received support from top university administrators.
The expansion is part of an approximate $414,000 budget add-on made last summer that would use tuition money and other general funds to bump the number of full-time officers from 25 to 30.
That money, which is to be allocated in the university’s fiscal year 2015 budget that will be before the Board of Trustees for approval in June, would also cover the new cops’ “operating costs,” said Stephen Golding, OU’s vice president for finance and administration.
“More personnel would allow us to enhance existing services and provide more depth for staffing special events,” OU Police Chief Andrew Powers said.
He added other new positions will be allocated to patrol shiftsto enhance the department’s visible patrol and response to calls for service.
“At least one of the (new) positions will be assigned to investigations to enhance our threat assessment process,” he said. “Another will be used to replace the officer who is assigned to the new bomb dog,” of which expenses will also be paid for in part with the new money requested in the proposal.
OUPD received a $28,555 grant to pay specific start-up costs for the canine program, such as retrofitting a cruiser for canine transport, procuring the animal, training the animal and handler and procuring any specialized equipment for the program.
“If we get everything we need for less than that, the remaining dollars will be re-allocated for spending elsewhere in our region,” OU spokeswoman Katie Quaranta said.
In addition to its current officers, the department has five communications officers, one clerical support employee and a number of part-time student employees, according to the OUPD website. Golding said the new staff would be paid out of the general fund budget and would be covered by tuition and other general fund receipts, which includes those from the student-supported general fee.
“The university leadership understands that with the growth of the Athens campus and the expansion in students, faculty and staff, these additional resources are needed to fulfill the ongoing need to provide for a safe and secure campus environment,” Golding said. “Once we have a proposed operating budget we will share it with the campus.”
He added he was working with OU deans and vice presidents on how to best manage the operating budget of the university to cover these cost along with other institutional priorities.
Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said the increase in OUPD’s staff would not impact the cooperation between the two police departments. He added a beefed-up city police force would come in handy, too.
“It’s nice that they can afford that,” Pyle said. “The city obviously doesn’t have that kind of budget, because I truly believe if the city could afford to add five officers, they would. … But, I’m pretty confident that the city council and the mayor, when money becomes available, they will take a look at bolstering our forces.”
OUPD is already accepting applications for new jobs in its 2014 applicant pool and has some viable applicants remaining from its 2013 pool, Powers said. When the budget is finalized, the department plans to make the new hires over a period of about six months.
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