1994_10 Insight October 1994

              Page 6
IN FOCUS
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
October 5,1994
INSIGHT
New cop on police block
INSIGHT
Safety and law have changed hands
in CSUF's police department since
police chief William Anderson retired in December.
Make way for the new chief in
charge, Willie Shell Jr.. who arrived
at CSUF Aug. 25 with a clean track
record of an angel, according to staff
members who knew him as the police chief at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB).
Susan Howard, Shell's secretary
for five vears at CSUB. said the staff
and students "hated to see Shell leave,
because there was no incident he
couldn't handle."
"I think his best qualities are his
mannerism and how he handles
people so well," Howard said. "He
handles everything in his own way
and there was no incident that he
couldn't handle."
Shell is also considered an authority people look up to in his family,
according to his niece, Shane Davis,
a senior at CSUF.
"He's real easy-going, but when it
comes to taking care of business, he
takes care of business," said Davis,
"He's real fair and always looks at
both sides of a situation no matter
what bad things have been said about
a person on one side. He doesn't like
to prejudge anyone."
However, Shell considers himself
no better than the average person.
"I don't think there's anything
unique about me. I'm just me," said
Shell.
"Just treat people the way you want
to be treated," he said.
Working 12- to 16-hour shifts to
play catch-up on CSUF's police department work and attending meetings for various campus organizations and staff meetings have kept
Shell, 51, busy since he arrived.
"I try to make myself accessible to
anybody that needs to sit down and
talk," Shell said.
Shell said he is enjoying himself as
it keeps his adrenalin flowing.
"This is like a promotion for me,"
said Shell, "from a small university
to a larger one. The pace was much
slower, although I did enjoy Bakersfield. But for several years I worked
in Kern County, and I wanted something different."
Shell also brings to CSUF a load of
experience and accomplishments.
Shell graduated from the U.S. Air
Force Police Academy where he became a U.S. Air Force air police officer in Kaiserslautern. Germany,
from 1962 to 1966.
He graduated from Bakersfield
College in 1971, receiving his associates degree in criminal science.
He continued and received his
bachelor's degree in criminal justice
from CSUB in 1978.
Shell then attended the FBL National Academy in Quantico, Va..
where he graduated in 1982.
He received his masters degree in
management in 1992 at Command
College Class at California Polytechnic State University, Pomona.
Shell was also a part of Kern
County's Sheriff Department as a
lieutenant and a commander.
He supervised 15 to 83 employees
during his career there.
In 1989. Shell became the director
of public safety at CSUB his job required him to plan" and direct operations of the campus public safety department and to be responsible for
strategies planning, financial management, supervision and development
of the staff.
At CSUF, Shell will be in charge of
similar duties along with being in
charge of parking and transportation,
environmental health/occupational
health and risk management.
Shell also has a personal agenda he
would like to try to tackle.
"I want to be dealing with a lot of
things that slip through the cracks
such as earthquake safety, adequate
equipment for the staff and fire
safety," he said. "The university
should be a safe, accessible place
where people can enjoy themselves
and feel free."
Ironically, Shell said he didn't want
to be a police officer, because of the
negative impressions about them he
was raised on, living in the ghetto.
"Some police are overbearing and
malicious, but my thing was 'don't
always complain how other people do
a job until you do it yourself.' That's
when I decided that I wanted to be
the best and strive to do the best job,"
CSOs add security to dorm life
INSIGHT
In a move to increase the security
of the CSUF residence halls, four
community service officers (CSOs)
are now pounding the pavement in
and around the dorms well into the
wee hours of the morning.
"This is something that housing and
campus police have jointly put together," said police specialist Lupe
Shrum. "What they're doing is escorting ladies from the parking lot to
their dorm rooms, shutting doors after hours and looking for things out
of the ordinary. They're there for the
students."
The patrols run from 9 p.m. until 3
a.m. seven days a week.
"During the late hours is when we
tend to have problems." said Shrum.
"If they go around shutting propped
open doors and closing windows,
they are making the halls safer."
In addition to the CSOs, there is always a campus police officer on patrol near the housing area who can
respond in a matter of seconds to any
report of trouble.
Organizers of the program said the
program is a pro-active approach to
crime.
"I think it is a recognition by the
housing staff that you can't have too
much security," said campus police
Lt. Steven King.
"It unquestionably has to make for
a more secure environment. Anybody who watches television and
reads the newspaper knows the crime
problem in this city and to walk out
of your residence and see uniformed
security people walking around,
that's got to make you feel better,"
he said.
Armed with only a flashlight and a
hand-held radio, the CSOs high visibility is their main weapon in deterring campus crime.
"When people see someone in uniform coming," said Homan Hall residence advisor Natasha Frazier, "they
stop what they are doing, whether it
is good or bad."
In the first week, the CSO patrol
yielded one arrest. What is not known
is how many crimes they have prevented.
"We can assume that there have
been a number of bike thefts that
never occurred," said King, "and
maybe a prowler or (wo didn't go in,
because he saw someone in uniform.
It's got to make people feel better
about living there when they look out
their window and see a guy in uniform walking around."
In addition, an officer on foot in the
area allows for very quick response
to situations that may arise. They can
check on car alarms that go off in a
matter of moments, as well as respond to an R.A.'s request for assistance only seconds after they have
gotten off the phone with the police
dispatcher.
Last week, Dipan Mann, a CSO,
had to deal with a large group of
people who wandered into the residence area after a dance on campus
had ended.
The group entered Homan Hall,
and, before Mann had made it to the
top of the stairs, he had police units
en-route.
The mere sight of the CSO. as he
emerged from the stairwell, caused
the group to disperse and leave the
dorm area.
Parking: some Q&A
INSIGHT
Questions abound on this campus and others about parking.
Why do I have to pay so much?
Where does the money go? Why
do I have to walk a full mile to
class after I park? These questions
are all valid, and they all have answers.
The money each student pays for
parking is divided roughly in half.
One half of the money stays on
campus and pays for maintenance
and staffing. The other half of the
money goes to the Chancellor's
office. There, the money is pooled
into a general fund for all CSU
campuses. The money is then allocated to campuses showing the
most need for parking maintenance and new facilities.
"If you can make your case to the
Chancellor's office well enough,
you can get the money you need,"
said CSUF director of parking
Rick Finden.
"We got $790,000 from the general fund to repave the lots on the
east side of the campus and to pay
for the new parking meters," he
said.
Finden also contends lhat parking here is not that bad. He said
that there are plenty of open stalls
to be found, if you don't mind the
walk to class.
Indeed, parking here is .nuch better than that of some other campuses.
San Jose State has one parking
garage. That's it. If you don't make
it to the garage by 7 a.m., you have
to look for a spot somewhere on
the street.
"I used to leave for school at 6
a.m. in the morning just so I could
get a spot in the garage." said
former San Jose State student
Matt Wagoner. "Even if I didn't
have class until 10 a.m., I'd still
leave at six so I could park in the
garage. I don't like risking leaving my car on the street."
According to Finden, improvements at CSUF are on the way.
More handicapped spots are going to be made in order to comply with American Disability Act
standards and lighting is going to
be improved in lot C.
Complaints have also been
made that perhaps fewer parking
improvements should be made
and more money should be spent
on teachers and class sections.
Unfortunately for those who
make those complaints, there is
designated money for each department.
Money aimed at improving
parking facilities cannot be used
to hire more teachers.
"Parking is self-supporting,"
says Finden. "It's like that for all
departments. The budget is complicated, but that's the way it
works."
Is there a nice new parking garage for CSUF students in the future? Well, the president's report
revealed that there are plans for a
new garage.
Unfortunately for today's students, Finden doesn't sec a garage
here until around the year 2000.
For now, students will just have
to be satisfied with the parking
places that are available. And if
you get stuck parking in what
seems like somewhere in Clovis,
you'll at least be getting some
good exercise.
CSUF parking areas
receive new facelifts
Alice Milham
Koller/INSIGHT
Community Service Officer Dipan Mann patois the dorm parking lot
and answers an R.A.'s call for assistance.
INSIGHT
Parking facilities at CSUF got a
make-over this summer with the installation of more than 200 new electronic parking meters, expanded student parking in lot K and resurfacing
of lots A.C and J.
"Every one of the old meters was
broken," said parking administrator
Rick Finden.
The new meters are designed to prevent "jamming," the practice of clogging meters with coins or foreign object to prevent them from expiring. It
is a problem parking officials say was
rampant last year.
At one point, meters were* being
jammed three times a day, Finden
said.
That resulted in a significant loss of
revenue last year. Meters revenues
were just .$3,000. With the new
The new machines cost the same
to operate as the old models: six minutes for a nickel. 12 minutes for a
dime and 30 minutes for a quarter.
In addition, the new meters arc set
with a three minute grace period beyond the actual time paid for.
"Wc want to be merciful," said Administrative Services Supervisor Edward Mastropoalo.
However, they hope the grace period won't be taken for granted,
Mastropoalo added.
Another change was the expansion
of parking available for students in
lot K at the northwest corner of campus. Students now are allotted two
See PARKING, Page 11
See CSO, Page 12
1988 TOYOTA MR2 FOR SALE
VERY CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED, T-TOP
67K MILES, 5 SPEED, FULLY LOADED,
POWER WINDOWS, POWER DOORLOCKS,
CRUISE CONTROL, METALLIC GRAY, ONLY
SALE FOR $5,000 OR BEST OFFER
PLEASE CALL : 271-0519
STORAGE AS LOW AS $12.00|
NO DEPOSITS
• Access 7 days a weak
• Units from garage to closet size
• Electrical security
• Free use of dollies and carts
Shaw
Mini Storaqe
Thrifty
MiNi Storaqe
Z22-7479 226-6653
2633 W. Shaw Ave. 4420 N. Blackstone Ave.
Between Marks & Van Ness       Between Ashlan & Gettysburg
We belong to you.
If you're a CSUF full or part-time employee, a family member of a CSUF or public
school employee, or a student enrolled in a CSUF education credential and/or degree
program associated with the School of Education and Human Development, you're
eligible for membership in Educational Employees Credit Union. Membership in
EECU has many benefits.
Free Interest-Earning Checking
Student Visa with No Annual Fee
Student Loans
Computer Loans
Free On-Campus ATM, Access
Electronic Deposit of CSUF Paychecks
Advanced Degree Loans
Extended Hours Member Service
It's easy to join Educational Employees Credit Union and reduce the cost of your
financial services. Just call the number below Monday through Friday anytime
between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM. Students will need a letter verifying enrollment in
the CSUF education credentialling and /or degree program.
4feV
Pi
, Educational
I Employees
CREDIT UNION
Member Service Center
Local 275-7700 or toll-free nationwide 1-800-538-EECU
3488 W.Shaw       455 E. Barstow        5675 E. Kings Canyon       430 Pollasky St.       2029 High St,
Fresno Fresno Sunnyside Clovis Selma
By
Luis Valdez
October 7-8 &
12-15 at 8 p.m.
October 9 & 16
at2p.M.