By Zach Perras-Duenas
It’s 11 in the morning, and the forecast is cool and sunny. Sergeant Jerry Erwin, or as some students know him, O.J., is on his way back from an early morning meeting only to sit down in his office with me for yet another, albeit more lighthearted, meeting.
The topic for the agenda: James Hall, and the outlook for next semester.
To students, the “James Intruder” episode might be on the road to a forgotten incident, but given the fact that it has left some questioning the integrity of CCSU’s police force, it’s something that needs to be examined as this semester comes to a close.
However, I put those two words in quotes because it should be known that the man who was involved was not an intruder into the residence hall. In fact, he was a guest of a student resident. The real intrusions were into the rooms of students who happened to leave their doors unlocked.
Are the university’s resources as a whole to blame, then? In one word: No.
“James Hall was a serious incident,” Erwin said. “What should be realized is that the man involved was arrested for burglary charges and sexual assault charges and immediately removed from campus. At no point then was he a threat to anyone else.”
Initially, the charges might make the story sound more intimidating than it should be. But what the student population and the worried parents of students should know is that the police did their job, and they did it effectively.
“We quickly eliminated a threat from the campus,” Erwin explained. “I was very pleased with the response of our officers.”
So while it was easy for students and parents to point fingers, it’s also easy to have a brighter opinion when the full story is told.
“When you look at community policing, a dialog between the police force and its community is essential,” Erwin said. “When students tap the resources of all of our officers, you’ll end up with positive results.”
Reexamining what this semester has given the campus, and there have been quite a few jaw-droppers, Sergeant Erwin believes that it has provided a good look at what areas the police department has been able to show its professionalism in.
“We maintain a high level of public safety on this campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every single day of the year. We don’t close,” Erwin said.
Aside from that, Sergeant Erwin explained how being an officer on campus involves more than security measures.
“When our officers come to work, they portray a positive image of Central. It shows that we’re more than just police,” he said.
And as CCSU’s campus is looking to expand, its image as a whole needs to continue to relate into something positive. But students need to contribute as well, and perhaps look at their actions rather than place the blame on someone else’s shoulders.
“I think that when you step back and dissect what’s happened, it becomes a collaborative effort to see how things can be done differently for the future,” Erwin said. “This is the way our university’s community is going to grow.”
In other words, in order for CCSU to get ahead of the curve, the population – that means the faculty, the police and the students – needs to be prepared for anything.
What’s happening in today’s society and what’s happening at the university will constantly be in motion. Looking to the future, CCSU needs to be prepared for the changes so that when errors are made it can quickly brush itself off and get back up.
“We will always do what we have to do,” Erwin finished. “It’s our job to protect, and we will never stop working at that.”
Sergeant Erwin’s message is that safety must be upheld from many angles at CCSU. For students, always lock room doors when not in the room; don’t prop any doors to the residence halls; and always be aware of personal belongings and keep them close by.
The CCSU police can be reached at any point in the day via their number, 860-832-2375.
