Lt. Joseph Audino attributed the new emphasis to data studied by students in a course last fall. “In Statistical Methods class in the fall semester, Professor Linton and his students used our data and they brought us in to answer a few questions. When we looked at the data more closely we realized that our lowest rates of crime happened when our community policing task force was at full force,” he said. He continued that he felt that this could be attributed to greater visibility and better response times. That task force was on a volunteer basis, with officers doing it while still doing all their other tasks. The new initiatives will be staffed through the hiring of new officers to handle the new workload.

“Minor crime, major player” is how Audino addressed Public Safety’s approach to looking at any crime. “You will find that an incident will appear very minor from the first glance, but after we investigate we find that the suspect has a link to other major crimes in the area,” he explained. This new approach will also allow public safety to hire between five and six new personnel who will allow them to take the proactive approach of being involved rather than look in. These new personnel to be hired should make it possible for almost all officers to participate in the community policing on a full-time basis. This will allow public safety to be more proactive and to truly fulfill their purpose of making our campus safer. From offering safety escorts, handling emergency calls and incidents, to directing people to the right source, public safety is stepping up its efforts.

This hiring is seen by many as a positive first step to dealing with the problems that arise as the campus increases in size, and with the sense of urgency that many public safety officers have been feeling because they want to do more. This has resulted in the shift of public safety’s focus as well as a few new initiatives on campus. The access control program will soon be expanded to include many of the buildings on campus, making it easier for Public Safety to control who can gain entry to buildings.

Lt. Audino added that “our best policing is done when students, faculty, or staff notice suspicious activity and they contact Public Safety. There were many incidents that were stopped in their tracks because someone took the first step to call us when they noticed suspicious persons in their vicinity.” This happened in Hall Hall a few weeks ago when students called Public Safety after they heard the sound of glass breaking on their floor. Public Safety was on the scene within two minutes and the suspect was apprehended. It turned out that this suspect had been involved in many theft and burglary incidents around the city of Troy. “If it had not been for the students’ efforts, some belongings might have gone missing,” he praised.

“When we stop someone from committing a crime, we are helping the Troy community as well. It only takes one person to wreak havoc in our quality of life,” Audino said. He also pointed out that most criminals that are on the RPI campus usually have had a history of other crimes in the City of Troy. “With our joint efforts with the Troy police’s rigorous efforts to solve crimes, we are working around the clock to preserve the quality of life for everyone,” he said.