The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 71, No. 110, Ed. 1 Friday, May 6, 1988 Page: 6 of 16
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6
May 6,1988
Spectrum
Looking To Grow
NT's police force
sees potential for
an upswing in crime
and seeks to
head it off at the pass
By Anna-Therese Ostapchenko
North Texas State University consists of
450 acres and has a high-density population.
Thus, criminals have a relatively small area to
work in and a lot of people to steal from.
When the yniversity changes its name to
the University of North Texas, many other
changes will also occur. One change will be
with the university police.
Chief Eric Jackson said the university's
name change will not hinder the departments
capability of meeting the needs of the students.
"This has given us the justification to get
new officers," Jackson said. "We have 20
(sworn in) police officers," he said. "We should
have 22 police officers by Sept. 1, but this is
still in the works with the budget."
Jackson said the department could use
two more officers now, and as the university
grows, another two in the next two years. "Over
the next five to six years," Jackson said, "We
hope to have 26 to 27 officers on the street
working in law enforcement."
The department is working for a safer
future for everyone. Jackson said there are two
plans he wants to see take effect soon. "First,
we are trying to enhance our crime prevention
program," he said.
The crime prevention program has
several phases. "We want to start attacking
specific problems.
"Traditionally, we've worked with
burglary, book theft and rape," he said. "We are
beginning to see an increase now in auto thefts
and a new problem with crimes against the
university and against the staff." For example,
there has been a number of break-ins to the
University Store.
The second part of Jackson's plan is to
include off-campus students and commuters
under its protection. "We want to expand
services for students off campus and for
commuters," Jackson said. "There are new
"We are looking at the lab
school gym as one place
for the police to relocate,
and also the Union for
parking services."
- Chief Eric Jackson
inexpensive devices available to help make
students less vulnerable to theft."
With the help of the administration and
the crime prevention program, Jackson said he
hopes the department can do everything to make
the university safer for the students.
One of the ways Jackson said he sees
this happening would be a restructuring of
funding. "We need more funds for police
operations," he said. Money is going to other
areas in the department and is tying up
production where it is needed. "We want to get
the administration responsibilities off the
police," Jackson said.
"We need computer networks to increase
efficiency," he said. Reports would be written
longhand and then typed into a computer for
legibility and safe filing and storing.
Much of the paperwork and expense
results from having two separate departments
under the same roof.
"We are looking at separating the
parking services and the community services,"
Jackson said. "They are separate operations."
Jackson said he would like to find
separate places for them. "The Sullivan Center
is a visiting center for administration and
registering people.
"We need a more centrally located place
for the department," he said. "One reason is it is
difficult for students to find us where we are
now. The department is located off of Eagle and
Avenue E, across from Fouts Field.
"Another is that all patrols are
vehicular," Jackson said. "Officers have to get
in their cars, drive over to campus and get out
to walk (the campus) on foot."
It would be convenient for the students
and the police to have the department centrally
located on campus. The students would be able
to locate the department, and the police would
be able to locate problems on campus.
"We are looking at the lab school gym
as one place for the police to relocate, and also
the Union for parking services," Jackson said.
Along the same lines of the department’s
finding problems on campus, Jackson said he is
looking at having an electronic surveillances put
in around campus.
"We need video monotoring," he said.
"For example, the Art Building, Science
Research Building and Administration Building
continued on page 7
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The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 71, No. 110, Ed. 1 Friday, May 6, 1988, newspaper, May 6, 1988; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth723694/m1/6/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.