In full force: MUW employs fully-staffed campus police force
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – For the first time in over a decade, Mississippi University for Women’s Police Department boasts a full staff, and all of its officers are fully certified.
“Law enforcement is struggling throughout our country,” said MUW’s Police Chief Randy Vibrock. “We’re no different, so what we had to do is go back and readdress our recruitment strategies and also look at our salary and we now offer competitive pay.”
MUW’s Police Chief Randy Vibrock said having a full staff, gives his department more opportunity to provide services to the students such as a RAD program.
“RAD is Rape Aggression Defense,” Vibrock said. “It’s for women. It offers women basic self-defense techniques and tactics. It’s to help prevent abduction situations and possible rape situations.”
Vibrock said they also offer a safewalk program.
“If a student or campus community member would like an escort, all they have to do is call our department and we’ll have an officer walk them anywhere on campus property,” Vibrock said.
Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry has an excellent working partnership with the W.
“Some of the things our department works daily, they don’t deal with daily,” Daughtry said. “So when that special occasion comes around or it’s something they’re not used to dealing with, all they have to do is pick up the phone. We help them with their felony cases, and also inside the community.”
Daughtry said that anytime a department is fully staffed, it can be more proactive than reactive.
“A lot of times when departments are understaffed, you have to be reactive,” Daughtry said. “What I mean by that is, you don’t have the proactive policing where they’re out patrolling. A lot of times they’re running from call to call to call.”
Both Vibrock and Daughtry agreed that having a full staff allows them to be more efficient.
“We’re here to maintain safety,” Vibrock said. “So having more officers present allows us to do that and deter criminal activity from occurring on our campus. Sometimes just an officer’s presence is all that it takes to do that.”
“He realizes the value of parents bringing their children to school,” Daughtry said. “Some of these parents are three, four, five hours away, and their safety is important to him. I applaud him for getting that done in the very short amount of time that I’ve known him.”
Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry is working to bring his department up to full staff as well.
The department is now hiring for several positions; The starting salary for officers is $40,000 a year. If you would like to apply or if you have more questions, stop by the Columbus Police Department.
