On Wednesday, Nov. 2, the Otterbein Police Department announced that they had eliminated their night shift due to staffing issues. Starting Sunday, Nov. 6, at 12:01 a.m., the Westerville Police Department began responding to all emergency situations on campus during the night.
OPD will be in service on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 12:01 a.m., and 8 a.m. to 12:01 a.m. on weekends. A staffing shortage for OPD throughout this semester forced the department to make this move.
According to an official statement released by OPD Chief of Police Larry Banaszak, the change is temporary and will be reverted when the staffing issues are resolved.
“When I was first asked in 2007-2008 to transition from a security department to a top-notch campus police department, I asked for 15 officers. I’d like to have that same number today,” Banaszak said.
OPD and WPD have always worked closely to respond to emergency situations on campus and in Westerville.
“We do have city wide jurisdiction to respond to emergencies, or whenever requested by a WPD officer,” Banaszak said.
Banaszak also noted that WPD has full jurisdiction over campus.
Concerns have been raised about how WPD will respond to situations reported through Otterbein’s amnesty policy. The amnesty policy allows students to safely and anonymously report crimes or emergencies in potentially self-compromising situations.
On Nov. 4, it was officially announced by Julie Saker, the dean of students, that the amnesty policy will still be in place as it pertains to the Student Conduct Process, but WPD officers can still file charges at their discretion.
“If [Westerville Police Department does not comply with the policy], that could be potentially concerning, because the amnesty policy was created for residents to approach OPD or RAs in moments where they really need them,” Noah Clever, a junior and a hall director resident assistant at Davis Hall, said.
While there may be a difference in how WPD responds to certain situations on campus, especially in the case of the amnesty policy, Clever believes the difference in how the campus will be policed should not be entirely noticeable.
“In terms of Westerville Police Departments presence, if they end up following Otterbein’s policies, I think that there would be little change… perhaps even better [policing], because Westerville Police Department would be more closely working with heavy situations and be more prepared in that sense,” Clever said.
Clever also mentioned that if WPD did not intend to follow the University’s policies, there could be instances where students are afraid to use them as a resource.
