The Butler University Police Department is making a personalized effort to become closer to the students through its new Adopt-A-Cop program. The program, spear-headed by Sergeant Connie Hindman, connects a Butler police officer to each of the four residence halls on campus.

“Our department is looking for way to connect on a one-on-one basis with the students. We want to be able to be someone they can trust,” Hindman said.

ResCo, Ross Hall, Schwitzer Hall and University Terrace all have an assigned police officer. The program allows officers to attend residence hall staff meetings, perform walk-throughs with RAs, and conduct educational programming to help the students feel safe. Programming that has already taken place includes campus safety, sexual assault awareness, alcohol awareness and date rape drug information.

“We had a program called Survivor 101 where we taught the kids how to party safely and responsibly. A lot of times students are afraid to call; many times there is alcohol involved. If they know us as real people, then they won’t be afraid to call. It helps us keep the campus safe,” Hindman said.

BUPD also promotes its RAD program through Adopt-A-Cop. RAD is a 12-hour course designed for women that is designed to give them options in case they are attacked. Despite the focus on the residence halls, according to Hindman, more sexual assaults take place in “houses, not fraternity houses, but off-campus, private homes.”

Date rape awareness is also a high priority of the Adopt-A-Cop program. Hindman said that most reported sexual assaults happen when the person “usually is not a stranger. It is usually a date rape situation from a person they know.”

The program was actually implemented last year but didn’t take off until after Officer James Davis was shot last September.

“After Officer Davis was killed, we couldn’t do it. He was in the program so it didn’t work,” Hindman said.

Hindman is the officer assigned to ResCo. Officers Chris Marcum, Chris Newkirk, and Mark Merrell are assigned to Ross Hall, University Terrace and Schwitzer Hall, respectively.

Although still in its early stages, the Adopt-A-Cop program has already had a positive influence on the Butler community. Maren Zuber, a staff assistant at Schwitzer Hall, feels the officers have made efforts to make residence hall life more comfortable.

“(The program) allows us to get to know and work with the police on another level,” she said. “They do a lot of programs and attend our meetings.”

Emily Combs, a senior RA in Schwitzer Hall has not yet held any specific programs with Schwitzer Hall’s liaison, Officer Merrell, but has already seen some benefits come out of the Adopt-A-Cop program.

“I think it’s really great. It gives the police more visibility. I had a resident who had health issues and the police came and helped out with that," Combs said. "They are trying to let the students know there is help available.They aren’t out to get you in trouble."

Hindman added, “Our goal is to eventually have every student know at least one police officer by name and feel comfortable going up and talking to them.”