December 16, 2003

*Ask Jen

Reader Adam writes, "As an undergraduate at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, I was very disturbed when the campus security changed its name from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to the misnomer Northwestern Police. Years have passed and I now work in downtown Chicago, near the Northwestern University Medical Center. I recently saw a patrol car marked 'Northwestern Police' driving around, marked with a Call 911 In an Emergency sign. I hope if I was ever in trouble it would be real Chicago cop who showed up to help. Can any group of security guards just call itself 'Police'?"

Campus police or campus security depends on the particular campus...if they can arrest people, issue summons, etc, then they are "real" police. Northwestern's campus police are "real" police...from their website: "All University Police officers are graduates of a state certified police academy, and have full police authority on and off campus." (emphasis added)

As for your 911 question, the dispatcher would send the appropriate help your way, and unless you were calling from the NU campus, it is not likely you would see NU campus police.

Security guards can not call themselves police. If you have a question about whether the person you are talking to is a cop or not, look at their uniform patch. It will say police, sheriff, security, etc.

Kin, who already knows the answer, asks: "Who were the Mau Mau?"

Sounds like a group of Muppets? I don't know.

(Anyone who really wants to know, can try this site to start.)

Do you have a question for me? You can e-mail it. If I know the answer, I'll answer it. If I don't, I might make something up.

Posted by Jennifer at December 16, 2003 09:28 PM

Comments

There's a reference to the "mighty mau-mau's" in Paul Simon's musical The Capeman. In the context, they were a gang.

Here's the lyric, if you're interested:

The Chaplains and The Golden Guineas
The Red Wings and The Crowns,
The Mighty Mau Maus,
Those Shines from Brooklyn,
They want to cut The Vampires down

From http://home.c2i.net/chrhansen/capeman-lyrics.html

I'm sure that's not an origin story, but maybe a hint to Kin depending on the context in which it was referenced.

Posted by: Trey Givens at December 17, 2003 04:39 PM

One more detail about those Campus Police. LEOs are granted Peace Officer's commissions by the State.A Northwestern bluesuit can make an arrest anywhere in Illinois. Not that one wouldn't have to try pretty hard, the officer would certainly be off duty and out of communication, as well as not in kevlar. A spread out campus, though, with officers going from place to place on city or county streets in the radio cars, well, don't blow past them at three times the speed limit, thinking they can't do anything.

Posted by: Peter at December 19, 2003 02:27 AM


Jew