Some parents of UC Berkeley students have hired private security guards to patrol the campus, but the school says this should be left to campus police.
The group, called SafeBears, says it represents more than 1,300 parents of students at the university. The university announced the decision to hire security guards last year after several crimes involving students, including a carjacking near a fraternity house and another incident near campus.
The university, which enrolls about 45,000 students, said in a statement that the hiring raises concerns about training and experience and that “university funds should be used to hire more campus police officers.”
Jonathan Simon, a criminal justice law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement that he understands why parents are concerned about safety, but there is no evidence that universities are exceptionally dangerous.
“I don't understand how this stunt can change the risk so much and instead reflect the relative privilege of the parents involved,” he said.
He added that it would be better to have gyms open 24 hours a day and well-lit running and jogging trails to create more space for students to stay on campus at night.
Several serious crimes have occurred on university campuses, and parents are on edge. In February, the body of a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student was found in a wooded area on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Georgia.
The Safe Bears (named after the University of California, Berkeley mascot) spent more than $40,000 to hire security guards through contractors. From March 6 to March 23, six “safety ambassadors” wearing bright yellow jackets patrolled the area around the school, but not on campus, from 6:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Parents said the area was chosen because of recent reports of crime. .
“I have heard from many students who have expressed gratitude and relief when they have seen our security guards patrolling campus,” said Safe Bears President, whose twin sons said Sagar Jethani, a sophomore at the university.
The organization said in a statement that all employees hired by Safe Bears underwent criminal background checks.
They also received at least 32 hours of security guard training. They were not carrying pepper spray, batons, handcuffs or other “defensive equipment,” the statement said.
