The "Student Patrol" program is funded by the University of Illinois. In order to enable us to do our jobs, we were constantly given relevant training such as Bystander Intervention training, Awareness training, basic medical training, and many other sessions related to observation and interaction skills. While we weren't expected to be replacements for police officers, we were expected to be the "eyes and ears" for the police department. Each student patrol is equipped with a reflective vest and a radio that is directly connected to the police department as well as to other student patrol officers. Student Patrols are constantly trained and tested in radio proficiency such that in the case of an emergency each Student Patrol would be confident and calm enough to relay important information to whomever is properly equipped to handle particular situations.
The training Student Patrols received was very structured. Everything including how we were trained to communicate and act was very specific in order to be as efficient as possible. However, the job is very situational due to the fact that emergencies are generally unique in some way. Most of the job was being able to think calmly on the spot while still being quick to act. For example Student Patrols are trained to report hit-and-runs to specific radio channels, but information that we report to that channel are very specific to the situation such as the models of the vehicles involved, the location of the incident, and the direction of travel the runner heads in. Being unable to relay proper information in the right manner to the correct recipients could result in unfortunate events. The organization was structured in a such a way that we were trained during our time off the field so that we may be able to handle the unpredictable situations that we encountered on the field. In application, the "Command and Control" gave us as much information and knowledge as they could without having the information that we, "Boots on the ground", received by physically being at the event of interest.
During the job one of the most valuable limitations Student Patrols are met with in the face of an emergency is time. While time isn't a physical currency its value is made very notable when a Student Patrol is only given a short window of time to report and handle an emergency. For example a Student Patrol must be able to get the licence plate and description of a fleeing vehicle as well as the street it's on and the direction of travel should a hit-and-run ever occur. Or, in the case of an assault or ongoing fight, describe all parties in action as well as the exact location. Both situations call for rapid observation and communication abilities. A fleeing vehicle isn't going to wait for you get a good look at the vehicle and driver before leaving and assault victims would prefer help to arrive as soon as possible. The transaction cost here is the time the Student Patrol spends communicating through the radio. Ideally, the situation would move much more efficiently if a Student Patrol is able to minimize "transaction costs" by being proficient and articulate when relaying information. While it would be ideal for the time (transaction cost) that it takes to communicate important information to be instantaneous, we are only able to reduce this transaction cost as much as possible.
I hadn't heard of student patrols before. So I found this interesting to read. I'm curious as to why you would do such work and if it is as dangerous as it sounds. For example, what would happen if a student patrol stumbled onto somebody being robbed? You said that these patrols are not the same as police and I think I understand that. But they would seem to possibly put the members of the patrol into harms way. Is that right?
ReplyDeleteThe discussion about training makes sense. Both the police and the military also offer extensive training to prepare people for what they later will encounter. One might ask, what is the basis for the training? Did you encounter any situations where the training was put to use? Were you then able to determine if you were well prepared for the situation?
You didn't discuss the commitment in terms of number of evenings per week that you were on patrol and/or which days of the week you were on patrol. I can imagine that this work would cut into your social life or compete with your schoolwork. Was that the case? If so, how did you manage that?
My last question was whether there is any uniform or other identifier to make patrol members recognizable. If a small group wanted to harass students in the evening, could they pretend to be patrol members? You talked about helping students get home at night, but why should they trust that? Please understand in my asking about this that I am ignorant of how it works and simply want to understand that.
Initially I entered the Student Patrol program because I was interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement. Yes, you are correct that student patrols have a relatively high probability of being in potential danger due to the nature of the job. Personally, the possibility of being put in dangerous situations was what made me feel like the job was worth doing. The dangers we were put in were reflections of each situation's level of intensity and it was a pleasure to be in a position to act and respond productively.
DeleteThere were plenty of times when I had to put the training I had received to use. I was able to grow extensively in many areas as a person but especially in the areas of observation skills, articulation, and overall strategies to deal with all sorts of different people. So to answer your question: yes I did use the training I received quite often by even just interacting with people in a calm and professional way.
We were required to work every 3rd night any every so often we would be assigned to details including assisting with traffic control for football games, basketball games, and other University Events that requested our assistance. On average I worked approximately 20 hours a week. This wouldn't be so bad if the hours weren't at such tiresome times. I never wanted my job to interfere with my academic performance so I made many sacrifices in my social life to be most productive with where I wanted my time to be spent. Quite often when my friends were hanging out I was either working or getting ahead on school work so that I could work that night or the next night.
We were required to wear a vest with patches, lettering, and reflective stripes. In addition, our radios were the same radios that the police department uses so they were very noticeable. To sum up, we were very recognizable as student patrols. If a single person wanted to pretend to be a patrol member they would have to steal some expensive gear from the Division of Public Safety. One of the most recognizable duties we perform across campus is the "SafeWalks" program. In other words, if a student calls the number for SafeWalks found on the back of their iCard it's us who comes and walks with you. This helps with the credibility aspect. With regards to why they should feel safer when walking with us I can assure you it's more comforting walking with two equipped student patrols who have a direct and instant line of communication with the police department than to walk alone. Generally, students feel much safer even just having someone to talk with while they walk through the night even if they're not far from home. Due to our equipment we're often mistaken for police officers so people up to no good tend to avoid us.