U. Police will open mini-station

A University Police mini-station at 3927 Walnut Street -- between Galaxy Video Arcade and Baskin Robbins -- will be completed by the end of the week, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said yesterday. The mini-station is one of two on campus, which Kuprevich hopes will give University police a "higher visibility" on campus. "Many people don't even know where we are," Kuprevich said yesterday. "The building we're in now isn't that visible." The University Police station is currently located at 3914 Locust Walk, across from High Rise North. Kuprevich said many students pass by the station, not realizing what it is. The other police mini-station is inside the Funderberg Center at 3401 Walnut, University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes said. "They've graciously allowed us to be using their space in their inner room," Holmes said last week. Although not yet as visible as the mini-station at 3914 Walnut, the mini-station at the Funderberg Center will soon be renovated along with other parts of the center later this semester, Kuprevich said. Kuprevich added that the idea of mini police staions has been utilized as a "strategy" in municiple law enforcement since the 1970's. "The whole objective of mini-stations is to give the perception and reality of a safer environment," he said. Kuprevich said that the mini police stations are another step in University Police efforts to extend "community policing," in which police interact with the surrounding community on a regular basis. Kuprevich added that the police will look for volunteers from the community to assist in running the mini-stations. "We will look to volunteers from the community to work with us," Kuprevich said. "For a mini-station to be truly successful, it has to engage the community." He added that he hopes to provide information at the mini-stations that will make people more comfortable with talking to the police. Lieutenant Holmes said that once the mini-stations are established, an officer will be "in direct contact with local proprietors." By establishing this communication, the police can better deal with the specific needs of the community and help the community solve existing problems, she said. Holmes added that people might be more willing to approach a mini-station with a problem, especially when they might know the officer on duty. "People may feel more comfortable to go into a mini-station and discuss problems one-on-one with a familiar officer," Holmes said. According to Kuprevich, at least one officer will be on duty 24 hours at the mini-station. He added that officers have been assigned to patrol the station areas since the beginning of the year, although the renovations were not completed. People may come in to the mini-stations to report crimes or simply get information, he said. Marlon Lassiter, an employee at Galaxy Video Arcade, which is located next to the 3927 Walnut Street mini-station said that he thinks the police presence will cut down on crime. "Just the sign on the door -- even though they haven't moved in yet -- has deterred a lot of problems," Lassiter said last week. Steve Forgione, an employee at Baskin Robbins, said that he "loves" the mini-station next door. "I think that every block in the city should have a police station," Forgione said last week. "The way things are now, why not?" Kuprevich said the success of the mini-station concept depends heavily on community support. "I think we have a lot of hope in mini-stations alleviating fears," Kuprevich added. "But we just hope people will be willing to work with us."