Amista Lujan
Public Safety here at Saint Martin’s University is a free resource here on campus to provide a safe and fun environment. The office of Public Safety is located on the second floor of Old Main across from the Admissions office and is open twenty-four seven, seven days a week. I was given the pleasure of interviewing Sharon Schnebly, the Director of Public Safety, to get a better understanding of what role they have here on campus. Throughout this interview it was discovered that there are many more roles the Public Safety Officers play in the protection of the students.
Sharon responded to the question regarding if there is an incident on campus what is the process with dealing with these situations depending on the severity. Sharon responded, “It depends on the situation” and gave an example if a car were to be stolen “Direct students to make a report to Lacey Police Department and under the Cleary Act, we send out a notification to campus whenever a vehicle is stolen, letting people know that this happened, and make sure your vehicles are locked/parked in well lit places. Which all of our parking lots have plenty of lighting and that email gets sent out when we know of that incident.”
The night can be scary and what lurks behind it can be anything. Sharon shared some of the roles the officers play to help assist students to make their lives safer. She mentioned “We get a few of these calls a week, but we help students retrieve their keys from their cars if it is locked in, escort them from building to building, and pump air into their tires if it is flat.” Which is important for students to know if they ever come across a time that they’ll need these resources. However, during the interview she emphasized that if there is a more severe incident they will need to complete that task before heading over to students that need any of the above listed assistance.
As you walk around campus and attend student events, you might notice a couple of attendees in uniforms walking around. Sharon said that she encourages these officers to attend these events to remove that separation of officer and student. This aspect was interesting as it is true that allowing officers to make a space for themselves in the community builds a better sense of trust between staff and students.
Lastly, I asked her what is her favorite part of the job? Her answer was quite amazing as you realize that these officers are wanting to do their best to keep us safe here on campus. Her response was “The students. Being a part of their journey.”
If you are unsure about reporting any incidents or have concerns regarding any officers Sharon welcomes you to call or email her at sschnebly@stmartin.edu and 360-438-4555. Public Safety’s number is not set up to receive texts so it is important to call, and there’s always someone at the desk.
The Belltower 