Residents of the Francisco Torres Residence Halls will soon share their living quarters with a new on-site substation for the UC Police Dept. and CSO officers.

The office, which will be located in a currently empty meeting room along FT’s main hall, is scheduled to open sometime during Spring Quarter, UCPD Captain Mike Foster said. It will function as a part-time, rather than permanently staffed, office for both the UCPD and the CSO departments to utilize and fill out criminal reports when they need the extra space. Foster said he hopes it will be up and running as soon as the logistics are sorted though.

“We are waiting to set up connections to the campus [computer] network,” Foster said. “It should be open Spring Quarter.”

Mark Signa, UCPD public information and crime prevention officer, said because the office will primarily be used as a report writing room, it will remain empty most of the time.

Signa said that once the office is open, he will set regular office hours one or two times per week to attend to resident concerns. If the need arises for permanent on-site officers, Signa said the UCPD would establish regular hours.

Foster said FT was not the first location considered by the UCPD to establish a substation.

“We have tried, but have not been successful in getting space on campus,” he said. “This will be our first campus office. The UCPD has attempted in the past to obtain offices in the parking structure space, but that never works out.”

Detective Sgt. Daniel Massey of the UCPD said that assigning the office location in FT was not prompted by any concerns of criminal activity in the area.

“This office does not circle solely around the crime of FT,” Massey said. “It is just in an ideal location. This office puts us out in the community.”

Executive Director of Housing and Residential Services Wilfred Brown said the space would be available for the UCPD and CSO departments free of charge. He said their presence would raise the level of comfort for the 1,300 residents of the two FT towers.

“Space is always tight, but by having the UCPD on campus it will give us a chance to be able to provide more safety and security,” Brown said. “We already have a pretty extensive contract with the CSO program. This will give them a better opportunity to be on campus.”

Foster said he believes the presence of the UCPD and CSO officers will be a positive aspect to the residence halls.

“I think it will be beneficial because not only will [UCPD] officers be there, but CSO will be there as well,” Foster said. “People can come in with any questions they have instead of just wondering about their concerns.”

In the future, Brown said he hopes to bring more facilities to FT like an academic advising office and a student health center.

“We have a number of available facilities in FT and our number one goal is to bring campus aspects to the residents,” Brown said.

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