Dear Editor,

One of the most common things I hear around campus when the topic of the NKU public safety comes up is laughter.

Many of the students here at NKU think the public safety officers are just “rent-a-cops.”

This is not at all the case, as they are fully trained police officers that have the same authority as a Highland Heights or Campbell county officer.

I am always disappointed when I hear the snickering about our public safety officers. These officers are here for just that, our public safety.

Why is it that they are looked at as a joke?

I think many of the students here only ever see them as parking officers happily handing out tickets.

The NKU officers may not be fighting rough inner-city crime, but they do put themselves in harm’s way each day.

Any of us that commute to school see just how bad the traffic situation is here.

Each day we experience the officers directing traffic to help us to move along more quickly.

We all know the roads here are hardly big enough for our cars, much less a person between them.

I have seen, on multiple occasions, close calls where officers are nearly struck, and have personally experienced contact with an officer in my own car.

I would like to see all of us here at NKU slow down, and watch out for the officers’ safety, as they are watching out for ours.

Everyone on campus should show our public safety some more respect.

Our officers here do not want to have to come down on anyone, but they can and have the full power to do so if you break the law.

The laughter should stop and we should work with our public safety officers to make for a safer campus.

Chad Soard Junior, biology