It’s hard to argue with any policy with DePauw students’ safety in mind.
So, we’re glad that the board of trustees is following up the Indiana legislation that gives Public Safety the legal right to venture off campus and into Putnam County with legal authority.
The benefits of an increase in jurisdiction are obvious; DePauw officers could continue pursuit of a suspect outside of campus boundaries. Currently, they don’t have that power and instead have to rely on the Greencastle Police department to track down someone who may have caused harm to a DePauw student. This is obviously an inefficient system (with no implication that the GCPD is not trustworthy).
Alternately, Public Safety also could be called upon to assist other Putnam County Law enforcement in an emergency. The administration maintains that off-campus work would only occur in a time of specific need. For example, a drunk driver who continues off campus can now be pursued by Public Safety.
More comprehensive investigations can take place in Putnam County and Public Safety will be able to assist Greencastle Police in case of emergency situations.
It’s important to note though, as Professor Kelsey Kauffman, who followed the state legislation closely does, that allowing our Public Safety off campus could invite unwanted lawsuits.
And, the new policy could worry DePauw’s insurance holder, increasing premiums to protect against the possibility of an unexpected cost of Public Safety exercising power off-campus. Do cases that require this power happen often enough that a bigger bill is worth it?
The concerns the possible new policy addresses — the handicap for Public Safety faces off campus — are legitimate. But so are the concerns the new policy creates, especially when the Greencastle Police are by no means unwilling or unfit to serve DePauw students. That resource is already available.
If the insurance policy stays put, we’ll be excited for Public Safety’s extended reach. If DePauw starts to look at shelling out a ton of money, though, let’s reassess.
