Patrols irk students

The UW Police Department (UWPD) disclosed its intentions Thursday to continue Incident Prevention Team (IPT) patrols north of campus until June. The decision was based in part on a statement from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs that students support the heightened police presence.

According to student leaders, however, both the decision and the office's statement contradict student opinion.

UW-organized IPTs, consisting of a UWPD officer, a Seattle Police Department (SPD) officer and an agent from the state Liquor Control Board, have been patrolling on weekends since the Sept. 28 riot. The patrol teams were evaluated after a tentative Nov. 22 stop-date and, according to UWPD Chief Vicky Peltzer, will continue patrols through the end of the school year.

Sarah Carlson, Greek relations assistant to the vice president for student affairs, said her office used a letter from Greek leaders to Dan Oliver, captain of the SPD North Precinct -- dated Oct. 9 -- as evidence of continued student support for the heightened police presence.

Neither of the letter's two signatories, Panhellenic President Carrie Coffee and Interfraternity Council President Peter Bell, support the continued use of the IPTs.

According to Ernest Morris, vice president for student affairs, student and Greek leaders support a continuation of IPT patrols.

"There is an overall concern by student leadership that security needs to be enhanced as much as possible," said Morris yesterday. "Hence the decision to continue the police presence at least for the foreseeable future."

Bell expressed his surprise that a letter, dated two months ago, was construed as support for continued IPT patrols.

"There has been no student involvement in a formal decision to continue the prevention teams," said Bell. "We welcome any supplemental help to increase safety in our community. It will be under discussion whether the prevention teams actually achieve this goal."

According to Coffee, bi-monthly meetings between Greek leaders and Morris' office have not reflected student support of or administrative decisions regarding IPTs.

"In our meetings with the student affairs office, we have asked about the status of the prevention teams. (The student affairs office) always said '(We) don't know,'" said Coffee.

According to Carlson, Greek leaders have not expressed a change in opinion since their Oct. 9 letter supporting continued police patrols.

Greek leaders will meet with Morris in tomorrow's bi-monthly meeting to discuss the issue further.

ASUW leaders also deny advocating the patrols.

"At no point has the ASUW, either through the Board of Directors or the Student Senate, indicated that the police state should continue," said ASUW President Brittany Goodnight. "There is a concern for safety on campus, but the Incident Prevention Teams, many feel, do things other than promote security. This could be an issue of miscommunication and that would be unfortunate."

On Dec. 2, the senate passed a resolution supporting "Greek solidarity" stating that the Greek system has been under undue scrutiny since the Sept. 28 riot and that the "administration should remember that members of the Greek community are still students deserving the rights and protections afforded to all students."

An investigation by the SPD has not concluded that UW students were involved in the riots.