Patrol Services is the uniformed unit of the Department of Campus Safety Services (CSS). There are 4 patrol teams, each comprised of a Shift Manager, Campus Safety Officers and a Communications Operator. The Training, Investigations and Case Manager also provides support to this Patrol Services unit.
Campus Safety Officers (Special Constables): Campus Safety Officers are responsible for patrolling campus and engaging with members of the campus community in a proactive manner, incident/emergency response and carrying-out investigations/incident follow-up.
Communications Operator: Communications Operators are responsible for call-taking, dispatching and monitoring of various security/life safety related monitoring systems – i.e. access control, emergency phones, fire alarms, intrusion alarms, and video cameras.
Shift Managers (Special Constables): Shift Managers are responsible for the overall management and supervision of their assigned patrol team. They direct emergency response, assist with event planning, and assist with departmental administrative functions.
Training, Investigations and Case Manager (Special Constable): The Training, Investigations and Case Manager is responsible for the oversight of the Patrol Services units’ training and carrying out some investigations that are not handled by Campus Safety Officers, monitoring the patrol teams occurrence reports and liaising with other departments/agencies in follow-up.
Community Safety Co-ordinator (Special Constable): In a support role to Patrol Services, the Community Safety Co-ordinator (CSC) is responsible for proactively engaging the Carleton campus community with Campus Safety’s crime prevention programs, as well as identifying opportunities to provide customized initiatives to meet specific needs of campus stakeholders. In addition, the CSC manages all aspects of the Student Safety Patrol program.
What is a Special Constable?
A Special Constable is a Campus Safety Officer (a Carleton employee) who is designated and becomes a Special Constable within a year of being hired. The process includes an initial nine-month training period (training is ongoing throughout a Special Constable’s career) at the university. The training for all of Patrol Services unit staff focuses on community-based safety strategies, crisis intervention, equity, diversity and inclusion, incident de-escalation, and service excellence.
Once eligible for appointment, Campus Safety Officers are sworn in as Special Constables under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the university and the Ottawa Police Services Board. To best serve the campus community and its academic mission, Special Constables value educating and mitigating situations first. However, they also have the authority to enforce the following statutes: Criminal Code of Canada, Controlled Drugs and Substance Act, Mental Health Act, Liquor License Act, Trespass to Property Act, Child and Family Services Act and also the Carleton University policies, Parking and Traffic Regulations.
The MOU outlines all areas of authority that cover Special Constables at Carleton University.
In addition, Special Constables at Carleton are:
- Subject to university policies, collective agreements and terms of employment, as well as the Human Rights policy, as are all other Carleton employees;
- Considered Peace Officers and are granted some of the authority of a police officer;
- Limited to the jurisdiction of properties under the control of the university.
A number of other Canadian universities, transit services, police forces and government security agencies also employ Special Constables.