Chief Bill Ferrell has only been at Florida Atlantic University for seven months, but has been an officer in Florida for over 25 years. Beginning in the Ft. Meyers Police Department and then moving on to the Florida Highway Patrol for a quarter of a century, Chief Ferrell is now in charge of all seven University campuses. With such a large responsibility, Ferrell and Detective Jason Melvin share insight on how Florida Atlantic University Police is growing in security and how students can learn to protect themselves.
One of the biggest problems that students face daily is parking. “Plans for another parking garage are in the works,” Ferrell said. “There is plenty of parking to accommodate the 27,000+ students, but the opportunity to be close up is a problem for them.” Detective Jason Melvin encourages students to take advantage of the parking garages, saying that even though they have a longer way to walk, the security cameras help ensure more safety than the parking lots without them.
Last February there was a student shot by an officer on the Boca Raton campus. With the increasing crime on campus, university police have acquired a plan for the use of taser guns. “A proposal has been made and we are awaiting approval,” Ferrell said, “they are definitely a more popular use of defense among other officers that we hope receive in the future.”
Ferrell also addresses the use of Campus Blue Phones. “At all seven university locations, there are a total of 61 phones,” Ferrell said. “The call goes directly to the main dispatch and police are sent out to the location of where the call is made.” The purpose of the phones are to assist in emergency situations such as vehicle service, protection, or for questions.
According to Melvin, the most popular crime at FAU is bicycle theft. “Students who use the free bicycle registration increase the chance of recovery in the event that the bike is lost or stolen.” He also believes that the major reason why bicycle theft is notorious is due to the lack of responsibility by the students. “When they don’t have proper locks or locks at all, it’s like an invitation to the thief to take the bike.” Another free service that students can take advantage of is the Night Owls Escort Service. Students operating golf carts accompany other students to all locations on campus from dusk until dawn. For any questions regarding Night Owls, call (561) 297- 3782.
