By snoadmin
If you look hard enough, the evidence of a police presence can be found everywhere on campus. From the roving patrols to the extensive security camera system in the parking lot and on campus, there is always someone watching out for students. Silent and professional protectors, the University Police are trained in a variety of services for the students. Their mission is to protect life and property on the Cal State Long Beach campus. And so, they patrol, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long.
They train hard in order to be prepared for everything from medical emergencies to active shooters, in hopes that what happened at Virginia Tech never happens to CSULB. But hopes aren’t always enough, so they train and drill and arm themselves.
Despite their constant vigilance, most students know little about the University Police. With a desire to understand the unknown, I went on a ride along with University Police watch commander Sgt. Christopher Schivley.
Base of command
I met Sgt. Schivley at the University Police Department around 11 a.m. on Monday. Schivley is a Southern California native, a few months short of his 32nd birthday. He practically had to duck to make it out the door, where he greeted me with a handshake and a smile.
The sergeant knows the campus well. Schivley attended CSULB for his undergrad in criminal justice and master’s degree. He worked as a Community Service Officer before being sworn in as a police officer.
The station is far different from any other building a student will ever see on campus. There is a massive closed circuit security camera system that is continually tracking more than 30 cameras on campus.
“There’s someone monitoring these cameras 24/7,” Schivley said. When called, the UP has a 90-second average response time.
The rest of the building is what most would imagine an average police station to look like. The tour I received included a look at an evidence room, booking station and armory. Then there are the holding cells.
The two “four-hour” cells in the back of the station are about the size of a large desk, each containing a hardwood bench. The cells are designated “four hour” because they don’t have restrooms and if a person who is being detained needs to use the restroom, an officer must escort them. We took one last look at the dreary cells and headed outside.
The gear
On campus, the police drive Ford Crown Victoria’s or “Crown Vic” — the standard police vehicle in most areas. Because Sgt. Schivley is a watch commander and serves the department in a supervisory role, his car doesn’t have the typical cage in the back seat. The trunk, on the other hand, is a different story.
Carefully placed in the trunk is the latest in non-lethal pacification tools.
“We try to be proactive,” Schivley said of the weapons. “College campuses tend to attract the mentally ill, protestors, etc.”
Included in the arsenal is the SAGE 37 mm grenade launcher loaded with rubber bullets, a pepper-ball gun — which is basically a paintball gun loaded with pepper rounds — an evidence camera and a defibrillator.
“We’ve had five life saves because of that,” Schivley said, closing the trunk.
Inside the car is a very different story.
Each police car is armed with the AR-15 rifle and Remington 870 shotgun.
“The 870 is better for intimidation,” Schivley explains. “Everyone knows the sound of a shotgun being ratcheted.”
The shotgun has another advantage when it comes to close quarters emergencies.
“The shells won’t penetrate drywall,” Schivley said, “but will spread out pretty far.”
The AR-15 is another matter.
“The AR-15 is for distance and counter sniping,” Schivley said.
These weapons are secondary to the belt slung around the sergeant’s waist.
There’s a radio with several channels including the UP and LBPD frequencies, a baton, a X-26 taser, some pepper spray, multi-tools, restraints, gloves, a CPR mask, extra magazines and, of course, the Smith and Wesson 1911 .45. All in all, the belt weighs about 30 pounds.
Make no mistake, the University Police are employed by the California State University system but each officer is trained with city police and, at a moment’s notice, can be called on to assist in a situation off campus.
The patrol
“The biggest fear is another Virginia Tech [incident],” Schivley said grimly.
Because of events like Virginia Tech and Columbine, the UP has trained with SWAT and federal officers on a regular basis. The Daily 49er reported about the university’s most recent training scenario last month.
“The drills were largely created after the Columbine incident,” University Police Captain Fernando Solorzano said in the article.
The active shooter training is meant to test the University Police Department’s communications system, have officers perform in a “high reaction” situation and allow outside agencies to become familiar with the campus, Solorzano said.
“An active shooter is someone who’s lost it,” Schivley said. “They’re not like bank robbers who have an intent. We have to change tactics and get them as fast as we can otherwise they’ll keep killing.”
There are four police cars in motion at all times, patrolling at random but being tracked by GPS so that the other officers know where their backup is. One of the reasons for having multiple patrols is that a majority of the calls on campus are medically related and the fire response time is about 5-10 minutes, Schivley said.
“Engine 22 knows the campus,” Schivley said. However, if another fire or medical response unit has to come to campus, they will probably need a police escort to find the person needing medical assistance.
“There are two kinds of crimes,” Schivley explained about the patrols. “Student¬¬ ⎯ fights, drinking, parties ⎯ and off-campus ⎯ car theft and solicitors. A lot of this [patrolling] is trying to be pro-active. We’re trying to make them apprehensive.”
In addition to patrolling the campus, we took a ride through the parking structure.
The police look for loitering outside the parking structures, in case of possible car thieves, Schivley explained.
“In the structure, there are no cameras and we have the most burglaries. The lines of sight increase outside; inside, there’s a higher risk,” Schivley said. “We know the car thieves’ habits and know what to look for — people under the steering wheel, legs hanging out, car hood up.”
Thefts have been down in the last two weeks, Schivley said
The watchman
One of two sergeants, Schivley is the only watch commander for the university and, as such, has a variety of responsibilities.
“I make sure everyone gets here on time, conduct meetings ⎯ briefings, update people, come up with training topics ⎯ use of force, case law,” Schivley said. “It’s important to keep up to date.”
Schivley’s other duties include scheduling, damage reports, citizen complaints and training.
“Every sergeant has a specialty.” Schivley’s is unarmed combat.
Schivley was sworn into the police force in 2000 and became a field-training corporal officer teaching self-defense. Self-defense includes using the baton, pepper spray and hand-to-hand combat.
Schivley also spent time as a detective on campus, handling white-collar crimes for two years. He trained cadets at the academy and has now been a sergeant for more than a year and a half.
As watch commander, the sergeant also does a good deal of supervision and coordination.
“I’m usually the last one on scene,” Schivley said, further explaining the role of the watch commander. “It’s a minimum of five years experience and they prefer you be a detective first to know what to file with the district attorney.”
In the equipment bag in the back seat is a mobile c
ommand center with all the tools needed to deal with a situation, key among them is the department policy book.
“[The policy book] is our bible, if it’s in there we can do it,” Schivley said.
The equipment bag includes report forms, traffic sketches, evidence bags, hand sanitizer, more gloves, zip-tie restraints and extra ammunition.
“The watch commander ultimately makes decisions about who needs aide, where groups can go, they support officers, and help the new officers with their paperwork. You also need to be a diplomat,” Schivley said. “Normally the job goes to a senior in-field person.”
Schivley has gone 10 years without a complaint from a citizen.
Vigilance
Sgt. Schivley is a genuinely good person. Friendly, knowledgeable about a variety of subjects from sports to politics, film and pop culture, his personality comes off as a first draft of Superman, defender of truth and justice.
He’s excited about the time off he’s getting after he gets married this Saturday — an event that has him answering constant text messages and coordinating time off for other officers who are coming to the wedding.
This however is only one side of him.
During a patrol of the parking structure by the Walter Pyramid, Schivley sees a student loading something into the backseat of his car. It was at this time that the sergeant stopped being a human and resembled something closer to a piece of iron.
The patrol car stopped suddenly and he swung his torso toward the student, somewhere in the back of his mind, the decade of training was preparing to come out.
There was an odd intensity to the way that Schivley looked at the student who froze when the patrol car stopped. It was not a look of fear; I doubt the sergeant has fear of much, but a confident alertness. It takes microseconds to analyze and assess the situation. As suddenly as it had happened, the sergeant calmly adjusts back into his chair. The intensity is gone and his concerns come back to his impending nuptials.
“I just had to be sure,” is the only explanation given or needed.
The shift ends
The ride ends with the setting sun and a with a final walk through of the police station letting me out in front. Schivley remarks that this has been one of the quietest days so far this semester, noting that the only event of the day was a student forgetting where they parked their car.
I receive a farewell handshake and a smile like when he first met me, I wish him luck with his wedding and we part ways.
I walk away with my story and a better understanding of the men and women who are in charge with keeping the students and the school safe.
The sergeant walks back into the station with three more days before he’s off, and the knowledge that there are still more wedding plans to go over. He’ll return after his honeymoon and take up his position once more — constant, vigilant and professional.
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