March 15, 2005

A Plan for Action

University Police Department Establishes Neighborhood Action Team to Focus on Quality of Life Issues in Foggy Bottom/West End

GW’s University Police Department (UPD) will roll out a new initiative aimed at resolving quality of life issues and concerns raised by the University’s Foggy Bottom/West End neighbors March 20. Called the Neighborhood Action Team (NAT), this new UPD unit will patrol campus during the late night and early morning hours responding to concerns involving GW student behavior such as drinking in public, disorderly behavior, and noise complaints.

“This proposal for a Neighborhood Action Team is another example of GW’s commitment toward dedicating resources to solving quality of life issues and concerns raised by our neighbors,” said Michael Akin, director of the GW Office of DC and Foggy Bottom/West End Affairs.

“This initiative resulted from months of discussions with the neighbors and through our own experiences within the community,” Akin said. “It’s important to point out that this is a new effort and we are reaching out to other community leaders for their input to ensure this becomes the most effective program it can be.”

According to UPD Chief Dolores Stafford three additional officers are being hired for this initiative to supplement GW’s Community Concern Policy, which was refined last year to improve the department’s ability to track and respond to allegations of misconduct.

“Last year the Office of DC and Foggy Bottom/West End Affairs was created to address neighborhood issues,” said Stafford. “The office taught the neighbors how to report problems and that has been very helpful. This additional staff will enable UPD to focus on quality of life issues in the neighborhood, particularly in the evening hours when we traditionally get most of our calls from non-GW neighbors.”

These additional officers primarily will patrol campus as part of the department’s long-standing bike patrol unit and will be charged with taking a more proactive approach, acting on issues before calls come in. “Having the officers on bikes makes them more approachable to the community,” said Stafford, “but it also enables them to use more of their senses on patrol. They can hear people being rowdy. It’s our hope that through increased visibility we can deter some of this behavior.”

Currently, UPD has an average of 13 officers on duty for each shift. Over the year the department averages about 275 calls for service each day, and according to Stafford, 60 percent of those come in at night.

“When you do the math you can see that it definitely helps to have some additional manpower,” added Stafford.

Under the Community Concern Policy, allegations of misconduct by GW students can be called in to UPD at 994-6110 for an immediate response. Anonymous tips may be made by leaving a message at 994-TIPS or visiting the UPD Web site at http://gwired.gwu.edu/upd and following the link to “Online Forms” to find the “994-TIPS Online Form.” UPD will forward calls to various GW offices for follow up. Where there is sufficient information, an investigation is conducted and appropriate action taken. Students found to have engaged in misconduct are referred to Student Judicial Services.

Stafford is quick to point out that UPD’s jurisdiction is limited to University property and does not extend to off-campus property or to private property. For issues regarding behavior in private apartment buildings or residences, UPD is required to work through the DC Metropolitan Police Department to resolve community concerns.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu