The Seahawk

Issue date: 9/17/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Lisa Kurtz

UNCW Police have expanded their jurisdiction to include several off-campus areas after entering into an agreement with the Wilmington Police Department and the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office.

This agreement extends UNCW Police jurisdiction to include the areas surrounding the campus, or other university properties, and select city and county buildings. The expansion also covers any traveling-by officers between campus locations. When in these areas, UNCW Police have full law enforcement jurisdiction.

"When N.C. legislature passed laws that allowed the UNC system to create campus police departments, they recognized the need for campus agencies to be able to modify their jurisdiction and established within the law the ability to enter into agreements as we have done to expand our jurisdiction," explained UNCW Chief of Police David Donaldson.

The main goal of the expansion is to give UNCW Police the authority to act if something that is threatening someone's safety or property occurs within their presence.

"If they see a drunk driver, speeder or any kind of burglary going on in that jurisdiction, they'll be able to act on it," Ronald Sparks, a city council member, told WECT News.

According to Chief Donaldson, the prior reports stating that the expansion intends to increase campus police presence in areas where UNCW students live as an attempt to cut down on noise and partying are misleading and inaccurate.

"We [UNCW Police] will not be responding to calls for service or be conducting routine patrols of these areas," said Chief Donaldson.

Under the new jurisdiction, UNCW Police will also not be taking enforcement action on routine traffic violations, such as expired registrations or inspections, or be enforcing city ordnances, such as noise complaints.

Similarly, UNCW police officers will not be referring students to the Dean of Students for off-campus incidents.

"It is very important for our students and our community to recognize that the expansion of law enforcement is not an expansion of the campus judicial system," explained Chief Donaldson.

Some students, such as junior James Smith, see the expanded jurisdiction as a way for the community and campus to come together to better police the area.

"Having more law enforcement in the area is a good thing. If someone breaks the law, it does not matter which police force arrests them," Smith said.

The expansion gives UNCW Police the opportunity to work more closely with the Wilmington Police Department and the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office.

"I am hoping to facilitate opportunities for those agencies [NHCS and WPD] to get to know the campus better and in turn for our officers to get to know some of the jurisdictions close to us where we obviously have an interest in the safety," said Chief Donaldson. "This will allow all of us to be able to respond to an emergency better prepared."

The protocol for the new jurisdiction was released to UNCW Police staff for full implementation Sept. 11.

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