Late night with DPS: Patrolling, protecting the halls

Recent party raids by the Ann Arbor Police Department and officers from the Department of Public Safety have noticeably strained tensions between students and cops - this especially rings true for the students who came to college expecting to find themselves at parties reminiscent of "Animal House" doing keg-stands and chugging vodka as it pours down an ice block.

But most officers do not fit the stereotypical mold of an iron-fisted law enforcement agent. Take, for instance, Eric Travis, a DPS patrol guard in East Quad Residence Hall.

Travis, who has been walking the dorm for 10 years, prides himself on having good relations with students and trying not to act as a parental figure. He described his job as more of a protective and preventative measure to ensure students' safety.
david rochkind/Daily
South Quad Department of Public Safety officers Lt. Declan Lugin and Jeff Glebe check their nightly duties.

"In general, we assure the safety and security of residents and staff," Travis said. "Most actions are pro-active and preventative. We don't enforce rules for our own jollies or satisfaction, but for the common good."

In fact, Travis spends the majority of his shift, which lasts from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. every weekday, checking on what he described as the "minutia" in order to ensure that everything in East Quad and the Executive Residence building across the street is running smoothly.

On a typical night, Travis begins his shift by administering an exterior check in which he makes sure all the outside doors are secure and shut so that no intruders can have access to the building. After completing the exterior check, he usually stops by the Executive Residence lounge for a cop of coffee to keep him alert for the long night ahead of him.

Next, he makes his way back to East Quad for a meeting with the Residential Staff - a group consisting of the resident advisors and directors who are on-duty for the evening.

Once the meeting ends, Travis is off to perform the interior check, which usually takes anywhere between 45 minutes and an hour depending on the officer and the building.

Travis usually performs these checks three to five times an evening, each time looking for any unusual activity and open rooms such as classrooms in the Residential College, which should be closed at night.

Additionally, he carefully checks the laundry rooms, boiler room, cafeteria, and storage area for any maintenance problems. He explained that DPS also works closely with the maintenance staff to ensure that everything in the building is working properly because the building's "life systems are really our primary concern. That's No. 1."

Travis said all officers undergo training in such areas as radio procedures, responding to calls and emergency situations, interacting with the community, weapon use, first aid response and CPR to ensure that they can handle any situation.

This training has come in handy for Larry Proctor, also known as "Doc," who has been a DPS officer for more than 30 years.

In his career, he has witnessed six deaths, talked a student out of jumping off the roof of South Quad, crawled on his hands and knees to extinguish fires and almost delivered a baby in Alice Lloyd Residence Hall. He also bragged that he has even fought off bats.

Not surprisingly, playing the role of a superhero can have its perks. Officer Travis enjoys the direct contact he has with students who live in residence halls. In particular, he said he likes watching first-year students blossom into responsible young adults.

"It's nice to see people really mature. There is a definite difference between (students' maturity levels) at the beginning and end of the year."

He also realizes the importance of enforcing the guidelines to maintain a safe environment. To that end, he has a key that fits every lock in East Quad Residence Hall.

Travis beams about the excellent relations he has with East Quad residents. "People know who I am," he said. "I'm not here to cause harm. I'm here to assist people and be a resource in many respects. I never talk down to anyone. Everyone deserves respect."

This mentality has earned Travis the respect of many East Quad residents - respect of which he's proud.

Travis believes that his strong relations with the residents mean that "even people who have been written up for marijuana or alcohol can still have positive contact (with him) because (they've) had positive contact before the incident."

Furthermore, Travis isn't out to ruin student's fun. For instance, when an East Quad resident carried half a case of Honey Brown Amber Lager past Travis, he simply said "hello" and let the student keep walking. Travis didn't hound the student about his drinking age or why he had beer in a residence hall.

Travis says he's not there to stop any crazy college kids from having fun.

02-25-99