As a result of scaled-back operations by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Department (ULPD), the amount of crime reported in the residence halls has increased. Similar to other campus departments, budget cuts have caused the department to lose a significant number of officers, impacting the way they respond to situations on campus.
ULPD currently has 23 officers assigned to the main campus and five assigned to the New Iberia Research Center. According to Sgt. Lance Frederick, a public information officer for ULPD, 16 officer positions have been affected through a combination of staffing reductions, personnel actions, resignations and retirements.
Prior to budget restraints, ULPD had a residence hall safety initiative that increased the presence of officers in dormitories. There were four officers at the entrance of the dorms, and officers used to monitor residence halls by patrolling. After the initial 10% budget cut required of departments on campus, ULPD reduced the number of officers to two. Currently, there are no officers assigned to residence halls…