All Longwood students from New Lancer Days have been told that as long as you tell the truth, be respectful and are not a danger, the Longwood Police will do what they can to help. However at the same time, you also hear in the media about how bad the police are in America, especially when it comes to the traditionally negative stigma of university police.
People seem to not only go to college for learning but to also have a good time, which creates unique and often strained relationship between the students and the police who are supposed to protect them. There are many kids who feel more victimized than protected. Students are often kicked out of school for behavior that the majority of the students actually engage in, others simply do not get caught. So can Longwood students trust their police department?
When asked about the unlucky students, Chief Beach made it clear that part of his job is “holding people responsible for their own actions.” That is because he believes his force is a part of the education process, he helps teach students self-responsibility. He considers this one of the most important parts of his job, and he bases his approach to policing on it. This is why the Longwood University Police Department (LUPD) says if you tell the truth, be respectful, and are not a danger then you wont have a problem, because you are showing respect, and taking responsibility for your actions, whatever they may have been.
Chef Beach also said “it becomes a quality of life issue.” He was not talking about the school but about the community. The LUPD is not just serving the university, but the town of Farmville as well. There are many people who live in this community, and the Chief is one of them. It’s a small town that students could potentially make a lot of trouble in if left unchecked. There are times the town and college students should just stay separate the police help to accomplish this, which both sides should be thankful for.
The LUPD daily crime log as of March 27 has recorded 62 offenses since the start of 2016. 26 of those occurred in both on campus and off campus residential halls. The two most common of those were drunk in public (DIP) and second was possession of marijuana. The third and fourth most common offenses were larceny and assault, both of which are crimes against others, which needed protection from the LUPD seems obvious. However, the two most frequent charges of alcohol and marijuana, are considered crimes against oneself. As most of these crimes occurred in residents halls, the students were safe in their room when the LUPD started to protect them.
I located two students both of whom had a run in with LUPD. Both were under age drinking and would like to remain nameless. Although in similar situations the two have different memories of the LUPD. The first was a freshman walking home to Cox hall, drunk, when stopped by an LUPD officer. The officer asked where he was headed, which was not far from where they were. Next he asked the student if he had been drinking, which he replied with yes. He then took his name and asked if he could make it back safe. The cop walked the extra way to the door and watched the student go in safely. That was all that came of the situation, and the student has no hard feeling against cops now. He said, “I don’t know about all of the LUPD, but the one I ran into was helpful.”
The other student was left with a different impression of the LUPD. The students told the story of him and a few people drinking in a dorm when the LUPD Officer knocked on the door because the smoke alarm going off. Nobody was smoking anything but one guy was using a vape. The Officer noticed the alcohol and from that point on it was over. He claims they never had a chance to be helpful and respectful to the police. “He got us from the moment he walked in, and he knew.” From that point on the Officer was not interested in a respectful conversation but, “was acting like he was on a power trip the whole time.” His lasting impression of the LUPD was not as positive.
An encounter with the LUPD does not have to be bad. If you are respectful, then the police can be a friend. Chief Beach is a great guy and he, as well as the rest of the LUPD can be helpful to students. However, they are still police, which gives them a lot of power that can cause a student real trouble if he acts poorly. In the end, as students your best option when dealing with the police is to act respectful and hope the police will as well.
