`Campus Police,' Not Security By Kevin J. Stoehr, Chief of Police For the Capital Times burg community. In my short time as Director of the Safety and Police Ser vices Department on Campus, I have heard my Department and it's officers referred to as security when, in fact, we are a full-service police depart ment providing coverage 24-hours a day, seven days a week. I believe it's important to distinguish the vast differences between police officers and security personnel. The Campus Police Service Officers are required to have exactly the same police training that is mandated for every municipal police officer in the Commonwealth. This training entails graduation from a certified 13-week PA police academy (commonly re- Republican Women Look To The Future By Kai S. Wilson For The Capital Times The Pennsylvania Council of Re publican Women held its 75th annual convention at the Harrisburg Marriott on Oct. 18-20. "75 Years and Soaring" was the weekend's theme. The various edu cational workshops, inspirational speeches and many hilarious moments highlighted, that theme. During one of the workshops, the It is imperative that everyone un derstands the type of law Enforce ment services that are provided to the Penn State Harris- ferred to as Act 120), successful completion of annual State-sponsored in-service training classes and annual qualifications with a firearm. In addi tion, all of our Police Service Officers are college graduates, which is also a requirement for any new officers we might hire. A security guard, on the other hand, has very little required training and, if so, certainly not of the magnitude that the State requires for police officers. Campus Police Service Officers also have the powers of arrest, not only here on our campus, but on any Penn State University property. Con versely, security guards do not have any arrest powers and would have to call the local police department if an arrest had to be made. This is an extremely important distinction that our Campus community should be aware of when our officers are re quested to handle a complaint. Another major distinction is the na ture of the job itself. While security personnel usually provide nothing more than building and property pro tection, our police personnel try to foster positive relationships with the panel discussion was the past, the present and the future. The discussion about the future of the organization included Betty Comes, president-elect of the PCRW. She suggested the path for the future saying, "it is important to reach out to younger members." That statement was echoed by two visting members of the National Federation of Republican Women, Pauline Riehl, second vice-president and Carole Jean Jordon, recording secretary and a Repulican National Campus community through the many diverse situations handled by police response. It is through these positive relationships that are established that enable all of us to keep Penn State Harrisburg a safe place in which to work and learn. In closing, the most important aspect of our Police Service Officers is the word "Service". We are here to help in any way, we can. Please remem ber to dial 9-1-1 if you have an emer gency and Dauphin County Dispatch will contact our Department with the information for us to respond in a safe and prompt manner. For non-emer gency situations, please call us at ext. 6232 if you are on campus or 948- 6232 if you are off-campus. Together, we can make a difference. Kevin J. Stoehr took the position as Director of Police and Safety Services this past summer after leaving the position of Deputy Chief of Police in Mt. Lebanon, PA. His column will appear periodically in The Capital Times. Committe member from Florida agreed youth was vital for the group. Alan Novak, the Pennsylva nia State Chair of the Republican Party, was also there showing the party's support for the PCRW. The PCRW held its first con vention in 1922. Now it is comprised of 116 local councils with approxi mately 6,000 members throughout the commonwealth. The council's head quarters is located at 806 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg (Ph. 717-234-5914). THE CAPITAL TIMES Wednesday, December 10, 1997- Get Help Dealing With Finals Stress By Vanessa St. Clair For The Capital Times Feeling Stressed? With the end of the semester approaching, the inevi table worrying over grades, exams and countless papers has begun. If the pressure becomes too overwhelming, the Student Assistance Center can help. The Student Assistance Center is located in the Olmsted Bulding, W -112. The staff consists of two licensed psychologists, Steve Backels and Linda Meashey, and a National Certi fied Counselor, Felicia Brown. Counseling is free to current stu dents for virtually all the services pro vided. This includes an array of con cerns such as eating disorders, sexual ity, alcohol and drug use, dating rela tionships, grades, friendships, depres sion, self-esteem and many more. "Our students are so different, I coun cil gradparents and 20 year olds (alike)," stated counselor Linda Meashey, who has been at Penn State 9 years. The variety is one of her favorite aspects of counseling. Meashey added that there tends to be more counseling needed toward the end of the semester because of the increase in stress. If pressures become too much too handle, or you just need someone who will listen, the Student Assistance Center can help. To schedule an appointment call 948-6025 or drop by their office. "Parking" from Page One cost the school more Another improvement slated is the installation of a traffic light at the main entrance to the campus. Such a light will make the intersection much safer. Its cost will be shared by PSH and the warehouse companies whose trucks also regularly use the intersec tion. The registration program also allows the parking lots and roads to be pa trolled by the campus police. Yes, they do write citations to violators of the program, but their main purpose is to ensure the students' and faculty's safety. The next time you see them in the parking lot, be thankful they are there. Any extra funds are put to use as well. Money exceeding costs is given to the SGA, the scholarship fund, and next year's registration fund. So some of the money is returned to the stu dents.
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