Robert McDonald, Stephen F. Austin State University police officer II, stands next to one of the University Police Department’s new community relations vehicles. The CRVs allow officers to become more visible on campus and promote a safer community environment.
“The CRVs allow us to interact with people on campus in a new and safe way,” said Robert McDonald, UPD police officer II. “We can be more present on the campus and better establish a relationship with community members.”
The CRVs’ off-road capabilities allow officers to attend numerous events, whether they are on the pavement in front of Surfin’ Steve or on the unpaved azalea trails. The vehicles are able to move officers from one place to the next in a quick, efficient manner.
The officers behind the wheel of the CRVs are committed to becoming a visible presence in the community by attending public events that allow them to interact with the campus community.
“We want people to come up and talk to us, and we want them to feel comfortable around UPD and the CRVs,” McDonald said. “I was able to visit the charter school and let the students have fun with the sirens. The next day, I stopped by the athletics pep rally event in front of the student center and spoke with numerous community members about the UPD. Standard police vehicles make it difficult to have those kinds of interactions.”
For more information about SFA’s University Police Department, visit sfasu.edu/upd.
By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
