By Noah Bond
Scratchy voices from the police scanner break the silence as small raindrops fall on officer Randy O”Hara”s police car.
“Today has been a slow day, this has been my sixth call,” said O”Hara at 3:53 p.m.
With a camera mounted on his front window and a conglomeration of electrical equipment sitting between the driver and passenger seat, O”Hara reflects about his short two-year history with the BYU police force.
However the Genesis of BYU”s law enforcement started some 50 years ago.
BYU did not have a formal security force patrolling campus until 1952 when 25 wallets where found in the botany pond by the grounds personnel, according to the BYU Police Department History.
The first security office was housed in the Joseph Smith Building and has moved several times to accommodate the growing police force.
In 1961, the first marked patrol car was put into service.
It was at this time that controversy broke out across campus over the security officer”s right to bear arms.
In 1979, state legislative action was taken, transforming the security force into a police station of it”s own.
According to today”s police roster, there are 26 full time officers.
Officer O”Hara said that compared to most other university campuses in the United States BYU has been a safe campus, but crimes are no stranger to the students at the university.
The most common stolen items on campus today are unattended bikes followed by book bags and then clothing.
Students know that BYU is a safe place but students need to be aware of their surroundings, said Larry Stott, BYU police chief.
The crime log has 32 incidents recorded in October and 65 incidents were filed for the month of September.
Michael Harroun, director for the University Police said that too many people think that law enforcement is the responsibility of only the police.
People have a responsibility to report things that don”t seem right. Too many students think that someone else will call us, said Harroun. Law enforcement should be a concerted effort on everyone”s part.
