Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           www.selu.edu/NewsEvents
    Date: 7/25/97
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple  17

Editors: Photo accompanies release
SLU INSTITUTES "COMMUNITY POLICING"
     HAMMOND -- Harvey Darnell, a four year veteran of Southeastern Louisiana
University's police department, is the university's new "community policing officer," SLU's
equivalent of "the cop on the beat."
     Darnell assumed the new position in mid-July, thanks to a three-year federal grant.
Southeastern will receive $75,000, 75 percent of the community policing program's cost, said
University Police Director Paul Marek. The university will contribute 25 percent.
     As community police officer, Darnell will be "the liaison between the campus community
and the police department. I'm going to try to be as visible as I can," said Darnell, whose focus
will be to encourage "teamwork" in curbing prevention and awareness.
     " It's so important to prevent crimes before they happen," said University Police Detective
Hal Price, "For too many years, police have been reactive. We want to be proactive, rather than
reactive."
     Marek said Darnell was "a natural" for the community policing position because of his
background in sales and marketing. His years as a preacher with the Church of Christ in Walker
have also honed his public speaking skills.
     Darnell joined the University Police four years ago after more than two decades in sales
with General Motors and American Honda. "The company was bought out and I had the choice
of going to Detroit or retiring," he explained. A resident of Walker since 1979, Darnell said he
wanted to stay close to his children. A reserve law enforcement officer, he decided on a career
                                 (MORE) 
SLU COMMUNITY POLICING -- Add One
move that would take him into law enforcement full time.
     "I chose to come to Southeastern because it is a microcosm of a large metropolitan area,"
he said. "A university has the same problems, but smaller numbers. I could become familiar with
everyone, be known." For the past two years, Darnell has been stationed at Southeastern's School
of Nursing Baton Rouge campus.
     Vice President for Student Affairs Patsy Causey said the idea of community policing at
Southeastern evolved from a series of meetings last fall between police and campus leadership.
Southeastern formed a Community Policing Task Force of police, student, and Division of
Student Affairs representatives to brain storms on ways to heighten crime prevention awareness
and good community-police relationships. "If the community would help us in providing for our
own safety, officers would be more effective," Causey said. "We have to take responsibility for
our own safety."
     Darnell spent his first week on the job introducing himself to incoming freshmen at
university orientation sessions, mingling with students at a residence hall party and generally
"getting familiar with everyone," he said. 
     Darnell and Price said the idea of "teamwork," rather than an "adversarial" relationship
between police and community is the key to effective crime prevention. Darnell is initiating a
number of projects to increase community-police rapport.
     He will be in charge of posting "crime awareness bulletins" throughout campus and on
the University Police Web page (www.selu.edu/police/). He also is actively encouraging good
communication both in reporting crimes and voicing safety or crime-related concerns. He plans
to be available as a speaker to any campus organization and to offer training sessions to groups
such as residence hall assistants. 
     "I'll be out there walking around campus, walking through the residence halls," Darnell
said. "My job is to let everyone know that we're here to help."
                                 - SLU -
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