The Personal Touch to Campus Policing

As Executive Director of Campus Safety Services, I want to welcome you to our 2009 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. I urge you to read it from cover to cover as you will find valuable information regarding our police and security departments, important university policies and crime data, in addition to safety awareness programs and available resources. Whether you are a current or prospective student, faculty member or university employee, this information will help keep you informed and aware.

As you read the report, you will learn of the resources available to you and of our tremendous commitment to safety and service. We dont take our task lightly, or view it from a distance; everything we do is hands on, with a personal approach. We consider everyone within the Temple community to be family and we treat them as such. Great pride is taken in the relationships we build, particularly with students, many lasting years after graduation.

During my 13 years at Temple and my 26 years with the Philadelphia Police, I have witnessed many changes in policing, including todays approach to campus safety. Recent tragedies at universities across the nation have produced a more visible and proactive approach to campus policing. Temples police department and sworn police officers are equipped, trained and as technologically advanced as their city or county counterparts.

Another component of our department is a security division that boasts our personal touch. When you enter one of our residence halls, youll be greeted by a security officer who will request university identification before entry is allowed. All university-owned residence halls are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week while students are housed in a building. Other non-residential buildings have various levels of security, dependant upon the nature and use of the building.

Finally, I would like to speak directly to the parents or guardians of incoming and current students. In addition to my law enforcement experience, my wife Barbara and I are the parents of two college graduates, one a 2007 graduate of Temple who lived in university and non-university housing for four years. I understand the anxiety when your son or daughter attends college particularly if they are leaving home. I assure you that we are here for them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, no one influences our students more than you, so remember to talk to and counsel them frequently. By working together, we will help them through to graduation.

Regards,


Carl S. Bittenbender
Executive Director of Campus Safety Services