UCF campus cops are on patrol in Parramore

Hey Parramore, there’s a new sheriff in town!

It’s the University of Central Florida Police Department.

UCF cops are already on patrol at UCF’s downtown campus that is scheduled to open for classes this fall in the Parramore neighborhood.

Campus cops have real badges and real guns. They can arrest anyone – not just college kids -- and take them to the 33^rd Street jail. Or they can shoot to kill.

The presence of this new police force compounds the concerns of Parramore residents who feel their community is already over-policed.

UCF patrol car on Livingston St. at UCF Downtown

Four summers ago, a University of Cincinnati police officer in a marked patrol car driving on a city street near the campus stopped motorist Samuel DuBose, a black man. During that encounter, the UC officer shot and killed DuBose, who was unarmed.

That fatal shooting contributed to bad blood between the black community and police. After two trials that ended with a hung jury, charges were dismissed against the white UC officer, who was wearing a Confederate flag T-shirt under his uniform at the time of the shooting.

UCF recognizes that the new downtown campus is an urban setting -- vastly different from the suburban vibe students and faculty are accustomed to at its main campus in east Orange County off Alafaya Trail.

Under frequently asked questions on the downtown campus website appears this:

Question: “Will the campus be safe?”

Answer: “UCF Downtown will have a dedicated police force at the campus, available 24/7, located in a sub-station on Amelia Street. The campus will include uniformed patrols, video surveillance, blue light phones, and emergency alert systems. This plan is the result of coordination and planning between the UCF Police department and City of Orlando Police department over the past four years to collaborate on safety at UCF Downtown, which includes partnership ridealongs and inclusion in weekly crime meetings to understand trends in the area.”

For their part, OPD referred all questions about the new policing arrangement to the University of Central Florida.

In response to our questions, a UCF spokeswoman wrote: “UCFPD’s patrol of the UCF Downtown campus began Friday, June 28. UCFPD already provides policing services to students, faculty and staff members, and visitors at the main, Rosen and Lake Nona campuses. We’re expanding that footprint to best serve the members of our community at UCF Downtown.

“UCFPD’s jurisdiction will be limited to the interior and exterior of property owned or managed by UCF, including Dr. Phillips Academic Commons, UnionWest, and the Center for Emerging Media. UCF Police officers will be the primary responders to calls for service at our properties, with the Orlando Police Department providing support as necessary. Both agencies havesigned a memorandum of understanding detailing the terms of this agreement.

“Our officers are excited about bringing our agency’s philosophy of community policing and our dedication to campus and community partnerships to UCF Downtown. The officers selected to work at this campus understand the game-changing nature of this project, and they’re looking forward to playing a part in UCF Downtown’s success.”

The spokeswoman didn’t respond to questions we asked about how the campus cops would avoid hassling Parramore residents who happen to be walking through the campus on their way home.

Relations between OPD and the UCF police department have been sensitive in the past.

In 2005 a uniformed OPD officer shot and killed a plainclothes UCF police officer during a disturbance outside the Citrus Bowl Stadium (now Camping World Stadium) at a tailgate party before a UCF football game.

If you have issues about treatment by a UCF police officer, click here.