Published: May 31, 2008 10:52 pm      

MSU Security Force works to keep campus safe

Mountain State University is a place where many come to learn, work and even live, and five men work around the clock to make sure they do so safely.

Five officers are charged with security and safety at MSU’s downtown Beckley campus. Everette Steele, director of security and campus safety, said it is a job that requires more than a sharp eye. The job requires unique communication skills, cultural sensitivity and patience.

Before Steele began at MSU four years ago, the university “outsourced” security operations to an outside company, he said. They generally worked only nights and weekends, and no 24-hour shifts. As the university continued to grow, officials realized it would be more feasible to hire its own security personnel.

While state law does not allow private college police officers/security personnel arrest powers, Steele said all his personnel have law enforcement and security backgrounds. One of the biggest skills he looks for is communication abilities — a “must have” for anyone working with MSU’s unique environment.

MSU has a large, per capita, international student population, he said. Security officers will often encounter language and cultural differences with these students.

“Especially if you don’t have arrest powers, you must have a strong ability to communicate,” Steele said. “...You have to be understanding when you work with international students. They’re often not overly familiar with our language and cultures. It takes work to get your point across. You have to be patient.”

During the day, Steele said the officers heavily patrol parking lots — a source of constant concern. He said MSU has sufficient parking, but not sufficient parking in the most desirable areas.

“Some people want to park right at the door and go to class. That can’t happen,” he said.

At night, officers are constantly inside the dorms, Steele said. This is a large area of concern, especially after midnight. The officers will often patrol the hallways and the parking lot specifically reserved for students living on campus. He noted the dorms are also monitored with surveillance cameras.

Steele noted the campus’ boundaries are broken up by Beckley city streets and sidewalks. This, he said, makes students the people giving them the least problems. “Transients” who roam near or onto university property are the ones who must be monitored and escorted off the property.

“I haven’t seen any major violation of laws here,” he said. “Students, for the most part, are well-behaved. We have very few problems from them. ... But we have people on the streets who can wind up in the middle of campus. This breaks up your area of control.”

An excellent working relationship with both the Beckley Police Department and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, he believes, has served the university well, and both agencies’ personnel respond when needed, in a timely fashion.

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Just in these past four years, Steele noted the university and the job itself have often changed.

On May 8, 2007 — shortly after the Virginia Tech Massacre — Steele said he approached the university’s senior staff about the security personnel’s ability to carry firearms. The senior staff approved his request the next day. All officers, just like all other law enforcement officers, had to undergo required training. This must be renewed.

Even before Virginia Tech, Steele said the campus is placed under “lock down” from 5 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning. Doors are checked three to four times per night.

MSU also continues to grow. Just like other departments, Steele said campus security forces will need to grow, as well.

Steele believes he has grown as a person since taking this job — even after 29 years in law enforcement. For those 29 years, he was a Fayette County Sheriff’s deputy. Ten of those years, he was the chief deputy. He retired as a captain in 2004.

He was working on a master’s degree from MSU after his retirement when he took the job.

“It’s been very interesting, and it’s created new experiences for me,” he said. “I came from a culture that’s ultra-conservative. This is a far more liberal setting, and the cultural changes have been different. They haven’t been bad. I’ve had a lot of good experiences and met a lot of great people.

“...This has widened my perspective a lot. I have great people I work with and work for — people supportive of campus safety.”

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While keeping students and staff safe, Steele said MSU Security wants to make their work more personal.

“We get to know their names, and they get to know ours,” he said. “We become familiar with their vehicles, and where they park. For some reason, if things are out of place, we try and find out what’s going on.

“...We’ve tried to present an image here at MSU, one that’s not necessarily paramilitary like law enforcement. We try to be authorities without being overpowering.

“...We want to help them into their locked cars or walk them to their vehicles if something gives them a reason to pause in the dark. We’re there for that. Our cell numbers are published around the campus. If you need us for whatever reason, we will check on you. Let us keep an eye on your vehicle. We want to be as accessible as possible, providing a service. We want to extend this service to everyone who comes on our campus.”