A good way to see what the Winston-State University Campus Police do as they drive around campus is to participate in a ride-a-long.
This has been offered to the WSSU community since 2007.
A ride-a-long involves students, faculty and staff riding in the car with campus police and observing their duties. It can also be a good introduction to daily life of the WSSU Campus Police.
Police ride-a-longs are offered throughout the country.
The main purpose is to improve police and public relations by familiarizing participants with the complex and unpredictable nature of police work.
Lt. Patrick Ansel, crime prevention officer, said since the program started, a number faculty and students have participated.
There is not a specific amount of time for the ride-along; it all depends on how much time the participant has available.
Any available WSSU officers may take a participant along for a ride. A specific officer can be requested, but a student or staffer would have to wait until the requested officer is on duty.
“I think if more students would do it [the ride-a-long], they would have a better understanding of our responsibility,” Ansel said.
“It could build the relationship between the students and us. It’s a good piece of the community policing puzzle.”
Criminal justice majors are required to do a ride-along with police.
Tonya Jones, a junior criminal justice major from Statesville said that her opportunity to ride-a-long was interesting. She said it gave her a sense of the responsibility that officers have.
“It was fun,” Jones said.
“Sometimes there will be an incident and sometimes there will not.”
Jones said that police never know what the events that their day will hold or how their day will end. She said it is a very dangerous job to have.
“I wouldn’t want to be a police officer.”