DONNING a security uniform and patrolling one’s campus may seem as uncool to students as belonging to Girl Guides.
But these days, soaring crime on campuses has led students to rethink the value of “cool”. With armed robberies, car hijackings, rape and even murder becoming increasingly commonplace on campuses, the idea of being a student on the beat is gaining credibility as a novel way of introducing “community policing” to tertiary institutions.
The University of Cape Town started up the first Student Protection Service (SPS) in September last year — a fleet of students who patrol danger zones on campus, armed with radios and teargas guns. Now other tertiary institutions like the University of Durban-Westville and Pretoria Technikon are looking at introducing similar services.
The SPS supports campus security by patrolling residences, walkways and buildings, escorting students back from late night study and parties and radioing campus security when they spot trouble.
So far, 70 students have joined the scheme which pays them R12,50 an hour and they work in pairs from 8pm to 1.00am.
Kanyisile Mthembu-Fongoqa, who heads the SPS, says the phenomenon of active crime prevention, fairly new to the nation, is now filtering on to the campus. “The history of the country has been to wait for crimes to happen. Policing has been reactive, not proactive and because of our apartheid history, people tend to hate anyone in uniform.”
But these perceptions are fast changing, says Mthembu-Fongoqa, a former MK commissar, adding that the SPS is “sending the message that students have to take crime prevention seriously. It’s their baby as well.”
She says it is too early to tell whether the scheme has curbed crime on campus, but it is “certainly making students take crime prevention seriously and has improved relations between campus security and students.”
Now there are demands to expand the service to all eight residences and “we’ve been forced to use emergency funds,” she says.
Training focuses on conflict resolution and radio control. “Their role is not to get involved physically. They are the eyes of campus control.” The students are supplied with protection “gas guns” which give them time to summon campus security in the event of an attack.
Erica Miller, 21-year-old student in charge of SPS’s building patrol section, says students were initially pessimistic about the effectiveness of the “student force”, but were now showing more support. “Students are starting to take more responsibility. Perhaps they have suffered a crime, or been a victim but they are definitely more passionate about looking after themselves, their possessions and their fellow students.”
They are also attracted by the opportunity to make extra money. “Nowadays, with finances so tight, a job is a job. So why not help look after your campus?”
Some campus security staff are critical of putting students on the beat and exposing them to potential danger.
Commented Wits University security head Chris Hirst: “The kids are here to study and get degrees, not put themselves at risk.” However, Hirst added that his department was looking into this option, given the manpower shortages in campus control.
Miller believes the danger element is minimal. “I don’t feel afraid. We are always in pairs, we have radios on us and campus control has vehicles nearby. We are forbidden to dive into conflict situations and are trained in conflict resolution. We are simply giving more `eyes’ as a proactive measure against crime.”