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Changes for late-night meltdown necessary, DPS chief says

Chief Melvin Williams

Â鶹´«Ã½ University Police Chief Melvin Williams did not expect to be dealing with a pressing issue when he scheduled a session with Panther reporters on March 25.

Williams, director of the Department of Public Safety and Â鶹´«Ã½ emergency preparedness, found himself discussing the late-night meltdown set for March 26.

Prior to the news conference, he was informed that the late-night meltdown was advertised on a March Madness flyer which was shared on social media. He expressed his concern for students' safety. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, there is no way. … I cannot protect you if we allow that to happen on this campus,” Williams said. 

Williams said the flyer’s exposure on social media could attract a large crowd, potentially endangering the students. 

Despite the chief saying at that hour that he favored canceling the event, the meltdown was held after Williams held an emergency meeting with the dean of students, the Student Government Association president, the vice president of student development and DPS. 

Changes included: 

• Relocation of the event from Panther Plaza to the parking lot behind Kleist Hall.
• Closure of Goff Ave between Clark Street and Magnolia Street from an hour before until an hour after the event.
• Inclusion of seven additional public safety officers to the event. Officers were strategically placed at the event, throughout the campus and on Goff Avenue.
• Use of a metal detector at the designated entry point for the event.
• Adjustment of the planned hours from 10 p.m. until midnight to 9 p.m. until 11 p.m.
• Enforcement of parking in campus lots to allow only individuals with valid parking permits.

According to Williams, the changes ensured a successful and safe event. 

“The closure was very effective and met our expectations,” Williams said. 

During the March 25 conference, Williams provided updates about Â鶹´«Ã½ DPS, which has 14 employees, 12 of whom are officers. The other two are support personnel. The number of officers increased from last semester by four. 

He addressed specifically the car break-ins that occurred last semester. Williams said the department “developed a plan and used data.” 

Officers analyzed the data and saw the average times and days when cars were broken into. This information was used to increase staff and hire reinforcement. 

“We hired third-party security to come in and supplement our team, and we put them out in the parking lots on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.,” Williams said.