Cal Poly Humboldt UPD Hires Students as Public Safety Ambassadors

Arcata, calif. (KIEM)- The Cal Poly Humboldt University Police Department has hired a group of students to serve as Public Safety Ambassadors. The public safety ambassadors program aims to increase public safety as well as better connect students with UPD, campus staff, faculty, and the community.

Peter Cress, Lieutenant and Assistant Chief of University Police at Cal Poly Humboldt talked to us about the program.

“We are a student-focused organization. One of the things I love about being with the University Police Department is we’re not just law enforcement, but we have this mission to support the education of the students that we serve,” said Cress. “The purpose of the PSA program really is to foster a connection with the community. It’s really the evolution of calls from the years gone by to have alternative ways to connect with the police department… And, you know, we heard those calls”

Initiated just three weeks ago, students serving as public safety ambassadors are already providing crucial services to campus. Alejandro Cerero is a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt. He is also one of the new Public Safety Ambassadors.

“I get to transfer students from either the Comfort Inn to the library circle or vice versa,” said Cerero. “And we walk around campus, making sure everything’s safe and there’s no illegal stuff going on, or anything that we need to report that the police officers need to attend to.”

Cerero said that he and his fellow Public Safety Ambassadors also work the front counter and learn how to do live scans.

One of the main goals of the program is to foster new growth, for students and for the university.

“I’m going to gain this experience and take it wherever I go next,” said Cerero.

“I really find myself hoping that three, five, ten years from now, you know, the next UPD officer is working as a PSA. Right now,” said Cress. “I can see sergeants and lieutenants and chiefs coming from this group. It’s a really, really outstanding group of young people.”