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INTERVIEW WITH CHIEF HENRY STARKEL
What sorts of issues do you typically deal with on campus?
We deal with a lot of parking issues, and with a lot of student-conduct issues, many of which arise from the use of alcohol and normal kids-away-from-home types of behavior. Having said that, the kids on this campus are good kids.
What kinds of safety advice would you give students?
Remember all the safety tips that your parents taught you growing up. Walk in well-lighted areas. There's safety in numbers. First and foremost, you need to trust your instincts. If you get the feeling that something is wrong, something is wrong, and you should get yourself to safety.
If you see or hear something that you think is suspicious, call us. For an emergency situation, dial 7070 or go to our network of 26 emergency blue-light phones that are throughout campus.
For a routine call, dial 7014.
How many officers are on your staff?
We have twelve positions, one of which is currently vacant. All of our officers are certified police officers, skilled and trained to work in any police department in the state. They get the same training any municipal police department officer would get.
What types of experience do they have?
We have a diverse demographic. We just hired a new officer who still has to go to the Connecticut State Police Academy. He is 22 years old, and just graduated from the University. We have a couple of retirees from other police departments: West Haven, New Haven, Weston. I was a detective when I left the West Hartford Police department; I went into campus law enforcement in 1982. So it's a mix, which I think is good.
What are some of the more unusual situations you have had to deal with?
Before I came to UNH, I worked at Eastern Connecticut State University. We used to rent out space to different programs during summertime, and one year we had a group of nuns who came down from Canada for a program. One particular nuns was very shy and had trouble making friends. The nuns were housed in the residence halls, and they had been there just one night before we received a phone call.
It was the shy nun, and she was in a panic. She had opened the top drawer of her dresser to find a four-foot-long python nesting in her underwear.
It had been living in that room for quite some time, probably left by one of our resident students, and had made its way into her drawer. Snakes seek out the warmest place they can find, and she was the warmest thing in the room.
Even though she had been frightened initially, the story really broke the ice for her. She had something to talk about, and she became the star of the show there for a while.
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