by Melissa Hough, DSPS Faculty Member
The San Diego Community College District Police Department, the largest community college police department in the state of California, is the foundation of public safety on our campuses, promoting a safe environment for all to work, visit and learn. There are currently 16 College Service Officers serving all the main campuses and they are an integral part of the SDCCD PD, providing safety escorts, parking enforcement, traffic control, etc. Public safety is not solely the responsibility of our officers but also the responsibility of faculty, staff, and students to be aware of guidelines, policies, procedures, and crime prevention.
It came to the attention of DSPS Continuing Education Instructor, Melissa Hough, that many of the students in her Community Living Skills class at the Educational Cultural Complex were unaware of where the Campus Police was located, how to notify the police, and what events would warrant notification. Officer Dennis Trutna, College Service Officer at ECC, welcomed the opportunity to build a partnership, minimize fear and lack of knowledge, and bridge the gap with our campus police.
On January 25, 2017, Officer Trutna went above and beyond in order to promote and ensure safety at ECC. He took 45 minutes out of his day to discuss with the Community Living Skills students various situations that may arise on campus, how best to handle them, where the campus police office is located, how to contact SDCCD PD, policies and procedures and answered an array of questions. This proved incredibly beneficial for all the students and Officer Trutna has expressed that he will continue to be a guest speaker in the class each semester, ensuring that our students have the necessary knowledge to assist with safety on our campus.
We are beyond grateful for the efforts from all of the SDCCD PD. At ECC, we are especially grateful to Officer Trutna, for his time, dedication, and being crucial in our safe learning community. Information regarding our SDCCD PD can be located on the website: http://police.sdccd.edu/.