Wake Tech forming campus police force

Raleigh, N.C. — The Board of Trustees of Wake Technical Community College voted Tuesday to establish a campus police department.

The police force, which will begin patrolling in July, will oversee security and enforce the law at all Wake Tech locations, college officials said. Fourteen sworn law enforcement officers will be hired for the new force, and they will work alongside campus security officers already at Wake Tech.

“The time is right, given the troubling fact that violent incidents continue on college and university campuses,” Wake Tech President Stephen Scott said in a statement. "We believe it’s prudent to step up security now, and the presence of sworn officers will provide students and staff with the safety and assurance they need to learn and thrive.”

Wake Tech operates five campuses and two training centers across the county and has purchased land for a sixth campus near Research Triangle Park.

All campuses in the University of North Carolina system and 14 North Carolina community colleges have similar campus police departments, officials said.

33 Comments

WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.

VIEW ALL 33 COMMENTS

This story is closed for comments.

Latest Comments

"“The time is right, given the troubling fact that violent incidents continue on college and university campuses,” Wake Tech President Stephen Scott said" Let's see wake tach has had two lockdowns recently, one for a domestic threat against a student that didn't happen on campus and there was no gun found. The other was at the north campus where some panicked caller reported a person near the campus with a rifle, during hunting season, probably on some farm. So... no incidents, but let's spend a bunch of money on a police force anyway. Typical government mentality, fabricate a perceived need and blow a bunch of money on it.

nascar33
April 19, 2012 3:10 p.m.

"Just what Wake Tech needs. Mall cops with guns. I hope they don't get to carry more than one bullet at a time." Golo 1950

You do know that Wake Tech has a BLET program that sends people to departments all over the state, and not shopping malls don't you?

thepeopleschamp
April 18, 2012 2:13 p.m.

Just what Wake Tech needs. Mall cops with guns. I hope they don't get to carry more than one bullet at a time.

Golo 1950
April 18, 2012 1:01 p.m.

Gosh I hope they don't carry guns!!!!

loprestw
April 18, 2012 12:22 p.m.

Having a campus police force is necessary for Wake Tech because it's a growing college that has campuses spread out all over the place. There's not just one location for Wake Tech to have "an off duty deputy" work at. Off duty law enforcement officer's rates run between $26 to $35 per hour so having full time officers work at the college are actually cheaper in the long run. After the recent shootings at the college in California and the massacre at Virginia Tech a college with that many campuses and students that has experienced problems in the past would almost be negligent NOT to have a sworn police agency available. Several other community colleges in the state including Vance Granville Community College are establishing campus departments as well.