The Odessa College Police Department recently got a boost in the form of the Student Patrol.

Started about eight weeks ago, the Student Patrol includes nine current OC students who work with and assist the college police department.

Sgt. Nick Holbrook got the idea about two years ago to employ student workers in a different way. In his research, he found plenty of examples of four-year schools using student patrols, but not two-year schools.

“It’s pretty much everywhere at the university level, but for community colleges, it just doesn’t exist. And of course … there are major differences between what we do here and what they would do on a four-year (campus),” Holbrook said.

“The programs that I looked at on four-year campuses were tailored mainly to the evening time, which doesn’t really do us much good here because we don’t have big off-campus housing parties and stuff like that to worry about. The majority of the benefit that I see would be during the regular work day,” he added.

Students must be 18, at least a part-time OC student and pass a background check. They work no more than 15 hours a week. Patrol members don’t have to be criminal justice majors to join.

Holbrook said a couple of benefits are that the patrol has increased the manpower of the department. There are six officers on the force, including Police Chief Leslie Alexander.

He noted that if the students are working on campus, they are able to focus on school and stay engaged, which helps support the mission of the college.

Their main responsibility, as their name implies, is patrolling and providing additional eyes and ears on campus, Holbrook said.

“They’ve greatly increased parking enforcement, which helps us because when it’s one officer on, we don’t really have a chance to do that because we get called away. It makes it much easier to have them out there enforcing that,” Holbrook said.

The officers are free to roam about, as long as they get to every building and walk every floor during their shift. Holbrook said that is roughly two miles if you do it once.

“When it’s me, it’s at least three trips. I want them to do it at least once a piece and we try to keep them in pairs,” he added.

Two patrol members work late into the evening for the Learning Resource Center, which keeps later hours a couple of days a week.

“I really enjoy it. It’s fun having the younger students around just to break up the monotony of what we do. They’re able to go out and find stuff that we might be able to help with, so it’s been an experience I’ll say that,” Holbrook said.

This fall, he’ll have to replace some Student Patrol members who have graduated, but hopes to keep some of the experienced members on so he can build on that foundation.

William McGilvray, Kye Kupkufske, McKenzie Anaya and Michelle Baggett are all enjoying their stint as patrol members.

McGilvray, Kupkufske and Anaya are criminal justice majors and Baggett is focused on photography.

McGilvray said he heard about the patrol through OC Crimestoppers, which he also is involved in.

“I thought it was a good way to spread the word about Crimestoppers and promote campus safety,” he said. “I like it. It’s a very good way to get involved in the school.”

Talking on the police radio was probably the biggest thing he had to learn, along with understanding the police codes and filling out parking citations.

Kupkufske said he heard about the patrol from Holbrook, who talked about it in one of his criminal justice classes. He thought it would be a good way to put something on his resume for a law enforcement career.

Kupkufske wants to be a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper, but he is going to join the U.S. Marine Corps first. He has experience in the West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department, as well.

“I’ve always wanted to be a police officer, so doing firefighting was … another way to help out the community,” he said.

Anaya wants to be a probation officer and thought being on the patrol would help her learn responsibility and see what it was like to be in a law enforcement position.

“I just like how interesting it is and all the exciting things officers get to do, especially probation officers,” she said.

Baggett said Alexander encouraged her to apply and she was inspired by the officers.

Since she joined, Baggett said she has learned a lot of rules, some of which she didn’t know about pertaining to parking. What she enjoys most is helping students.

Holbrook said he has received positive feedback from faculty members who have noticed patrol members walking the campus.

“They like seeing them out, despite the fact that some people don’t like getting tickets,” Holbrook said.

Odessa College’s Student patrol member Michelle Baggett talks about her duties Monday, March 5, 2018 in the Odessa College Police Department.

Mark Rogers|Odessa American

Odessa College’s Student patrol member William McGilvray writes a parking ticket as part of his duties Monday, March 5, 2018 in the Odessa College Police Department.

Mark Rogers|Odessa American

Odessa College’s Student patrol member Kye Kupkufske talks about his duties Monday, March 5, 2018 in the Odessa College Police Department.

Mark Rogers|Odessa American

Odessa College’s Student patrol members, from left, Kye Kupkufske and William McGilvray write parking tickets as part of their duties Monday, March 5, 2018 in the Odessa College Police Department.

Mark Rogers|Odessa American

Odessa College’s Student patrol member William McGilvray talks about his duties Monday, March 5, 2018 in the Odessa College Police Department.

Mark Rogers|Odessa American