The DUPD is out in force

Over the summer, the North Carolina State Government passed a law extending the Duke University Police Department's jurisdiction to encompass the area surrounding East Campus. The move should benefit students by increasing safety in a consistently high-crime area, but raises concerns about the effects of a greater university-associated police presence on the off-campus social scene.

If the Duke Police do not patrol solely with the intent of breaking up parties, and students act respectfully without testing the limits of the law, the new program should be a positive influence on students, the University, and Duke-Durham relations.

The logic underlying the extension of the DUPD's jurisdiction is obvious--the DUPD is over-equipped for simply patrolling the University campus, while the Durham Police are already straining to enforce the law in a city known for its unusually high crime rate. By allowing Duke to police itself and the surrounding area, Durham County cops can focus more of their attention on patrolling and responding to emergencies throughout the rest of the city. This will be a significant step in the University's effort to play a positive role in the Durham community.

From the students' perspective, increasing the regularity of DUPD patrols around East Campus and Ninth Street will go a long way toward promoting a sense of safety, especially preventing violent and/or sexual crimes that take place late at night. Given the number of students living off-campus in apartments and houses, an increase in police patrols is clearly warranted.

In addition, DUPD officers will be able to respond to situations with the same authority that Durham cops have wielded in the past. Thus, while the DUPD authorities will certainly be watching for any unlawful activity, their first priority will be the safety of members of the University community.

The only foreseeable drawback to the new setup is the possibility that the DUPD will use its extended jurisdiction to squelch the off-campus party scene. While this is a legitimate concern on the part of students, individuals living off-campus have recently given the DUPD every reason to police house parties harshly. This past weekend, many Durham residents reported noise, littering, and harassment on the part of Duke students, and demanded that the Durham Police crackdown this coming weekend. It is likely that parties this weekend will be shut down at the slightest provocation by the Durham officers. By the time the DUPD takes over patrolling in the near future, students need to have proven that drastic measures like these are not required.

Throughout the past, the DUPD has shown itself to be professional, dealing effectively with students. The DUPD respects students, and for this reason, receives a great deal of respect from students in return. When the DUPD assumes authority over the area surrounding East Campus, it will be necessary for this relationship of mutual respect to continue. If students play by the rules, the DUPD can keep them safe, while allowing reasonable amounts of "good-old college fun" to continue.