April 20, 2015
Rachel Librach
[email protected]
If you’re walking the Spine toward El Pomar Plaza on April 22, try not to be too excited by the display of motorcycles, patrol cars and police officers.
The Police Outreach Event will feature members from the Criminal Justice Society and Student Government Association, representatives from the School of Public Affairs and several UCCS police officers.
Students can talk to police officers and club members about the different departments and careers offered in these fields. There will be music, free food and giveaways.
Brian McPike, executive director of Public Safety, wants this to be a casual event where students are comfortable approaching police officers and learning about criminal justice careers or programs.
“We really wanted to highlight what our department does, the types of things that we do on a daily basis, some of the programs we offer, the vehicles we use and what some careers in criminal justice might be,” he said.
There will be a few programs discussed at the event, such as crime prevention and impaired driving.
Although a space and time is still trying to be determined for the drunk driving simulator, it will allow students to sit behind the wheel of a golf cart and see what it’s like to drive under the influence.
“The first time driving through the course, the student has control over the vehicle. The second time we control the cart and simulate a driver under the influence,” McPike said.
This will be the first police outreach event at UCCS.
“This really came from the CJ Society and members of student government that spoke with students on campus and received feedback suggesting this was something that would be advantageous for both us and [the students],” McPike said.
McPike said the interaction between students and officers is crucial in light of current news.
“Especially in the wake of recent events – Ferguson and all the tragedies that have occurred over the past few months – we really just want people to know why we are here and why we do what we do.”