Up close and personal...

Author: Tess Russell

My original plan for this assignment was to shadow campus celebrity "Officer Chris," and deliver to you a thrilling account of a Saturday night in the life of a Middlebury College Public Safety officer. I was secretly imagining a full-color photo spread on this page, depicting me (in full uniform) behind the wheel of a Public Safety cruiser, ready to do some serious regulating of the 05753.

Unfortunately, but understandably, the office does not allow amateurs to disrupt the rhythms of the very busy weekend shifts - guess I'll have to return that oversized flashlight I bought - but I did have a chance to catch up with Chris Thompson, the College security team's most beloved player, at the football stadium this past Saturday. Earl Atta-Fynn '11 is already a huge fan. "Officer Chris is the coolest man I've ever met in my life," said Atta-Fynn. "I feel like his sole purpose here is to make sure I make it through the next four years alive."

Thompson, who has worked at the College for over five years, outlines the priorities of a Public Safety officer on duty. "There's really no such thing as a 'typical' shift because we deal with different situations every night," said Thompson. "Basically, the main objectives are to lock up the class buildings and walk through the residence halls to make sure everything's okay. We respond to any calls we get and then come back to the original route."

This kind of thorough patrolling helps explain why Thompson and his fellow officers seem to be ubiquitous - personally, I feel like they show up about 10 minutes after me to every party I attend.

"Well, if you have a situation [like the weekend before last] where the town police break up the parties on South Main Street, you can get a pretty good idea of where you should go next just by following the truckloads of students," laughed Thompson.

As to this intersection between the school's jurisdiction and that of the town, many Middlebury students are quick to express their preference for our friendly watchmen.

"When you're out in the real world, you can get into real trouble," pointed out Willie Orbison '08. "I think anyone would rather get a citation that a summons."

Philip Ehrlich '11 also weighed in on the debate. "Public Safety is just like the Middlebury town Police Department, except nicer Ö and better-looking," quipped Ehrlich.

Still, except for some horror stories circulating about students being forced to submit to breathalyzers outside of Ross by local cops, the boundaries of the College seem to be mostly understood and respected by everyone. Thompson noted that local residents know to call his office first with noise complaints about parties that are located in College residence buildings outside the main borders of campus.

While Thompson has seen everything on the job, from students insisting that bikes belonging to Public Safety are actually communal "yellow" bikes to pyromaniacal students injecting lighter fluid into tennis balls and igniting them on Battell Beach, he finds that Middlebury kids are generally really respectful of the rules.

"I think, at first, it was difficult for the social scene with the new party policies that have gone into effect over the past couple of years, but everyone seems to be adapting really well," said Thompson.

So, while Public Safety holds considerable sway around campus, there is nothing remotely sinister about their presence. Big Brother may be watching you, but in this case it is not the eye of a sinister monolith but rather the quietly attentive, sometimes amused oversight of an older sibling.

Shelsey Weinstein '10.5 agreed that, while the officers may mean business, they definitely have a lighter side. "They're authoritative, but they'll still friend you on Facebook," said Weinstein.

"I feel like they know what really goes on in college and it makes them more understanding. They want to keep us safe, but they also want us to have a good time," added Joey Interian '11.

When all else fails, you can always resort to a little bribery. Theo May '08 tells me that after Public Safety tried to "crush [his] soul" when he was a first-year, he took the advice of some friends and smoothed things over.

"The word was that a little Grille food would go a long way," said May. "I think it was the sweet potato fries that finally did the trick."