I had the pleasure of doing a ride along with the University Police Department on Monday, Nov 3 at 9:30 a.m. I went to see what it was like to be a UPD officer on a daily basis and to see what their job actually entails. The day started by meeting with my ride-along officer, Officer Silveira.
Officer Silveira took me back into the office, and we started to chat before her shift began. Within ten minutes of being in the office, her first call came in. The call was from the student assistants. We proceeded to answer the call in the front parking lot by Demergasso-Bava Hall (DBH) for the hit-and-run of a vehicle. Officer Silveira got out of the car and went through her typical protocol with the student assistant, gathering information on the incident, It was a simple call and great way to start the ride.
After we left the parking the parking lot, we continued on her regular route around campus, and next on the list was the university dorms. We pulled up to the dorms and went into the Housing Office where Officer Silveira was greeted with open arms—as usual.
After she finished her amiable interaction with the Housing Office employees, we continued to walk through the dorms to check an emergency blue light telephone. A previous shift there was a report that the phone was not working correctly and she wanted to confirm whether or not it was actually broken, and we soon came to find out, after a short test, that the phone was actually working perfectly fine.
After we left the dorms, we began to drive around campus and the surrounding streets of campus. As we were driving, Officer Silveira and I continued to talk about her experiences as a police officer and the unusual calls she has taken. As if on cue, an interesting call came in and for an injured student in the Fitzpatrick Arena.
We arrived at the scene and walked in to find a student who had sprained his ankle playing basketball during class. What was interesting about this call was that the request for her assistance was to give the student a ride to his vehicle. It then occurred to me that UPD is more than just being a police officer and making sure justice is upheld—UPD is almost like having a “big brother.” I use “big brother” because a big brother is always there to protect you, to make sure you’re safe, healthy and moving in the right direction.
UPD is so diverse because the job is more than just keeping the peace or making sure justice is upheld. They are the oil that keeps the school running smoothly and efficiently. They are the ones walking around campus checking to make sure our facilities are safe for learning and that all our tools for instruction are kept safe.
They also take up the task of making sure hurt students get the attention they need for something as simple as giving them a ride to their vehicle. They also assist Turlock Police Department in some of their own local calls. A day in the life of a UPD Officer is not glamorous by any means, but it certainly isn’t boring or unfulfilling.