TigerWatch volunteers to patrol campus

The members will work with STRIPES from Thursdays through Saturdays.

By Megan Pearl

Published April 20, 2010

TigerWatch is a new student patrol and safe walk program that aims to begin patrolling the MU campus at night in fall 2010.

The program was created through the Missouri Students Association and is in full partnership with the MU Police Department.

Superintendent Josh Travis said MSA and MUPD plan for TigerWatch to become a full auxiliary.

"TigerWatch will operate three nights a week for the first semester and most likely for the first year," Travis said. "It will run concurrent with STRIPES."

Garrett Bergquist, major in charge of public information and education and a former Maneater staff member, said running alongside STRIPES would make it easier for students to remember but the program is open to expanding days of operation.

There are at least 10 other colleges across the country with similar programs. At Illinois State University, the program runs seven nights a week and fulfills community service credits toward the criminal justice major, though students with any major can participate.

"In the criminal justice program, they have to do 20 hours of community service, and a lot of volunteers use it to get that credit," ISU Police Department Lieutenant Aaron Woodruff said. "We've averaged between 40 and 45 volunteers this and last semester."

Woodruff said they recently resurrected the program after the original had dissolved in 2001 due to lack of funding and interested students. The students patrol the campus seven nights a week, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday though Saturday.

"It's been pretty successful for the first year it's been back," Woodruff said.

He said the program has led to a variety of arrests, though the students are not doing anything other people on campus couldn't do as well. The difference is they have immediate access to a radio.

TigerWatch has 15 students signed up for the oncoming semester, Travis said.

"We do not have as many volunteers as we were hoping for," Bergquist said. "We want a force of about 40."

The officers will begin training in fall 2010. To become an officer, members had to apply, interview and meet certain physical fitness requirements.

"The physical requirements are basic," Bergquist said. "Fifteen pushups, 25 sit-ups and being able to run from Mark Twain to Memorial Union in five minutes."

Travis said physical requirement is important in case an officer is unexpectedly put into a dangerous situation, in which case they would need to be able to get out of that situation as quickly as possible.

The officers will also learn self-defense techniques from Michael Crawford, a member of TigerWatch who will be a certified martial arts instructor as of this summer.

Another requirement going into officer selection is thorough background checks. No person with a misdemeanor or felony charge will be permitted in the program.

The training period will be called TigerWatch Academy and is a minimum of 12 hours. Six will be spent in the classroom with the staff and MUPD. The remaining six hours of training will be completed through a full shift of patrolling at night. Travis said the program is also considering the possibility of employing the MSA golf cart for patrols and short rides home.

TigerWatch funding came from a Contingency and Reserve request granted earlier this semester. The organization received $5,200.