2008 Woodie Awards
Mayor proposes police on campus
In Monday's State of the City, Mayor Kleis proposed an SCPD presence on campus
Kyle Nelson
Issue date: 4/23/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Last Monday, St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis proposed having a police precinct on the campus of SCSU.
Kleis said he wants to sit down with incoming SCSU President Earl Potter and discuss establishing a partnership with the St. Cloud Police Department about having a precinct on campus.
Kleis said there is no time frame on this issue, and he has been discussing it during the past year.
"It was not brought up because of the incident at Virginia Tech," Kleis said.
Kleis said many other campuses across the country have a partnership with local police, and since SCSU has 16,000 students, it would be an option to consider.
"It is no reflection on the Public Safety Department," and good relations between Public Safety and the police will continue, Kleis said
It would bring more safety not only to the campus of SCSU, but the surrounding neighborhood as well, Kleis said.
Miles Heckendorn, Public Safety director for SCSU, said Kleis's proposal Monday was the first time he had heard anything on the issue.
Heckendorn said, as of now, it would be inappropriate to comment fully on the topic, because there is a lot more to learn about this issue as it develops.
Heckendorn said the St. Cloud Police and SCSU's Public Safety Department have a good working relationship.
It is common that in some instances the police will need to deal with an issue on campus, he said.
Public Safety will receive a lot of calls and will contact the police for response if needed, Heckendorn said, and the St. Cloud police have assisted in working with Public Safety in the past with homecoming, the Mississippi Music Fest and other events on campus.
SCSU's Public Safety Department will need to have more meetings and discussions with the police department, Heckendorn said.
"The need for police on campus has its pros and cons," he said.
If it did occur, Public Safety and St. Cloud police would still maintain a good relationship, Heckendorn said.
Whatever is best for the safety of the students and university would be best, he said.
Kleis said he wants to sit down with incoming SCSU President Earl Potter and discuss establishing a partnership with the St. Cloud Police Department about having a precinct on campus.
Kleis said there is no time frame on this issue, and he has been discussing it during the past year.
"It was not brought up because of the incident at Virginia Tech," Kleis said.
Kleis said many other campuses across the country have a partnership with local police, and since SCSU has 16,000 students, it would be an option to consider.
"It is no reflection on the Public Safety Department," and good relations between Public Safety and the police will continue, Kleis said
It would bring more safety not only to the campus of SCSU, but the surrounding neighborhood as well, Kleis said.
Miles Heckendorn, Public Safety director for SCSU, said Kleis's proposal Monday was the first time he had heard anything on the issue.
Heckendorn said, as of now, it would be inappropriate to comment fully on the topic, because there is a lot more to learn about this issue as it develops.
Heckendorn said the St. Cloud Police and SCSU's Public Safety Department have a good working relationship.
It is common that in some instances the police will need to deal with an issue on campus, he said.
Public Safety will receive a lot of calls and will contact the police for response if needed, Heckendorn said, and the St. Cloud police have assisted in working with Public Safety in the past with homecoming, the Mississippi Music Fest and other events on campus.
SCSU's Public Safety Department will need to have more meetings and discussions with the police department, Heckendorn said.
"The need for police on campus has its pros and cons," he said.
If it did occur, Public Safety and St. Cloud police would still maintain a good relationship, Heckendorn said.
Whatever is best for the safety of the students and university would be best, he said.