The Campus Beat Goes On: A Historical Comparison of University Law Enforcement Services

• In Event: Narratives of Police Work

Abstract

In 1894, Willis “Bill” Wiser and Jim Donnelly of the New Haven police were assigned to patrol the Yale University campus and thus the first North American university police service was born. Since then, university law enforcement (i.e., police and security) services have been formed on university campuses throughout North America. This paper examines similarities and differences in the roles of and challenges faced by contemporary university law enforcement services and the original Yale University police. This is accomplished through an analysis of Wiser’s memoir, published in 1914, and interview, observational, and documentary data collected at five universities, between 2012 and 2013. This paper argues that the early Yale University police and contemporary university law enforcement services share a focus on similar risks (e.g., alcohol use and vandalism), a dedication to integration with their university communities (i.e., through academic support and service tasks), and exposure to conflicts with other law enforcement providers. This paper also considers how contemporary and early university law enforcement services differ (e.g., due to new risks). Finally, this paper explores some emerging issues facing university law enforcement services and how these services may learn from their predecessors.

Author

• Blair Wilkinson, University of Victoria