Contact: Michael Padilla, 277-1816

Oct. 23, 2002 Carlsbad Natives Help Keep UNM Safe Carlsbad natives Wes Hurley and Robert Saenz help make the University of New Mexico a safer place to be. The two serve as student patrollers for the Student Patrol Division of the UNM Police Department. They offer services such as walking escorts, to augment the Security Department’s Escort Service, and usually work from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. The patrollers wear “cherry red” shirts with “UNM Student Patrol” on them and are equipped with radios, allowing them to be additional eyes and ears for the police. Hurley, a secondary education major with a focus on math at UNM, serves as assistant supervisor of the Student Patrol Division. “UNM is a very safe campus,” Hurley says. “I believe that the media here in Albuquerque has a tendency to overdramatize what actually happens on campus. Once in a while we will have a bad incident, but what campus doesn’t? Most of these rare incidents usually happen when individuals let themselves be put in potential dangerous situations. However, overall I believe hands down that UNM is a safe campus and it gets safer every year.” Hurley said along with the job comes more responsibility and a much larger workload. “It is a good experience to be in charge and learn what it is like to have people, especially your peers, working for you,” he says. Saenz, a computer science major at UNM, says he enjoys his job as patroller. “I believe some of the challenges about being a patroller is trying to keep an eye out for everything on campus and determining whether something looks suspicious or not. Another challenge is to communicate and relay accurate information to the dispatcher in a short and quick manner.” Saenz says that being a student patroller made him realize how peaceful UNM really is. “There isn’t much crime going on around the area,” he says. “Another thing I like about UNM is that it has a variety of events, and utilities for you to go to or use. No matter what event you go to or what utility you use, you always are left in peace. That’s what I like being a patroller most people aren’t up in other people’s business which is the reason for a more peaceful college. Don’t get me wrong, there are some mishaps that happen, but the occasions are rare.” Hurley says there are a few perks that go along with the job. “As a patroller you get to know the campus inside and out and even sometimes you get to know things about the campus that other students may never know about,” he says. “Also, you get to meet and provide a service that is needed on this campus and at the same time we help the police department and security force lighten their workload.” UNM Police Commander Jay Daniels says UNM is fortunate to have such dedicated and motivated group of students serve as patrollers. “They are UNM students who have stepped up the to plate to make this community a safer place to live, work and play,” says Daniels. “They are out on campus daily checking the grounds for safety issues such as lighting and emergency phones. They are a dedicated group of students who are working hard to make everyone’s stay at UNM a safe one.” Hurley is the son of Craig and Gale Hurley. Saenz’ parents are Roberto and Norma Saenz. ###

The University of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
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Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
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