By Charles Swanigon/reporter
The primary responsibilities of the TCC Police Department are to provide campus security and to provide students with a safe and secure environment in which to learn.
The department is staffed with certified Texas peace officers. The department’s police officers are empowered by the state and have the same powers to detain and arrest as municipal police officers.
The municipal police departments support and back up the campus police.
The department operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The police force consists of 72 commissioned officers all led by Chief Frank L. Buchanan.
Buchanan urged all students to read the Campus Motor Vehicles Regulations attached to their parking decal.
His concerns are that students finding their classes and getting a feel for the campus may rush and cause accidents.
“Slow down,” Buchanan said. “Rushing can cause accidents.” He told drivers not to drive through parking spots.
“Please report any accidents immediately,” said Buchanan. “Do not wait until your insurance company requires a police report. The campus police are fully capable of handling any fender benders.”
Buchanan also wants students to know that the campus police force is here for one thing — their safety.
“We must work together, especially in the next few weeks to keep our campus safe,” he said.
Citations are not a priority, but safety is, he said. Fines at TCC are among the lowest of any college in the area. Most fines are around $5 and do not exceed $25. The cost of tuition and books was in mind when those amounts were set, he said.
If you are a victim of a crime and do not want to pursue action within the college or the criminal justice system, you still may consider making a confidential report. The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with your wish to keep the matter confidential while taking steps to ensure the future safety of yourself and others.
When no classes are scheduled, rooms containing high-value items and all outside access doors are locked. Magnetic detectors are installed at the exits of the bookstores to deter shoplifting.
Parking permits are issued by campus police on each campus weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students receive a hanging permit at no cost during registration for credit or non-credit classes. The permit is valid until the expiration date printed on the front of the permit. There is a $5 lost permit replacement fee.
After 5 p.m., permits are available at Business Services. Vehicles that bear handicap parking identifiers are not required to have a student or faculty/staff permit. Motorcycles are not required to have permits but are required to park in designated areas.
Due to a delay in shipping, the timeline for picking up student hangtag permits has been extended to Sept. 30, but students are urged not to wait until the end of the grace period to obtain their permits.
Parking permits are hung from the rear view mirrors with the permit facing the windshield. Temporary permits are placed in the lower right-hand corner of the front windshield or placed on the dashboard on the passenger side where they can be read through the windshield.
Parking is color-coded: white striped lines are for students, yellow denotes faculty/staff and blue is for visitors.
Crime prevention requires the teamwork of students, staff and faculty, all of whom are urged to report all safety hazards and criminal activity.
To report a crime, notify police officers on patrol. Call Police Central Dispatch at 817-515-8911 or 8911 from a campus phone. Call the Crime Watch Hotline at 817-515-TIPS (8477) or 8477 from a campus phone.
Go to any police department on campus. Contact a Campus Security Authority Member. Be ready to provide the type of incident, location, number of suspects, whether they are armed and the descriptions of suspects.
Go to www.tccd.edu/TCC_Police/Emergency_Preparedness.html for more detailed information.
