Campus Safety: Meet Our Safer Student Officer
As part of our commitment to safety on campus, the University employs a full-time police presence. Our Safer Student Officer is Joe Dainton, he works with West Yorkshire Police and is here to provide reassurance and support to our students through a variety of services.
We sat down with Joe to find out a little bit more about his role. He talked to us about his background and how he can help students to settle into university life. Joe also touched on how students can look after themselves and their property while on campus or out in Huddersfield.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name’s Joe Dainton, I’m the Safer Student Officer here at the University of Huddersfield. It’s my job to support student and staff safeguarding and wellbeing while they attend the University.
My job is to be a visible presence on the campus, and I work closely with the Security team and the staff to ensure that while the students are studying at the University, I can provide them with any advice that they may need, a general chat or support them if they were ever to fall victim of a crime.
Is the campus a safe place for students?
The University is a safe place. My role here is to support that and make people feel safe. So, while I’m around on campus, students may see me in uniform or my high visibility equipment. This is not to cause any alarm, my role is to be visible. If students see me, I want them to feel reassured that I’m here to look after everybody and prevent and detect crime on the rare occasion that it does happen.
What does support from the Safer Student Officer look like for students?
Support can vary depending on people’s journey throughout the campus. Hopefully, you’ll never need formal support from the police, but I want to be that familiar face that people can come to if they become a victim or need some advice. I want students to know where I am and feel comfortable speaking to me. Because my door is always open to anybody or, if people prefer, they can contact me on my phone or over email.
The support I provide can vary – sometimes people need advice. For example, if someone has a new car or has bought a new bike and needs advice on keeping that safe. Or, if someone were to fall victim to a crime, then I can guide them through that process and provide them with updates. I might not be investigating that crime, but I’m there to look at our systems and provide suggestions on how to progress it, talking them through that process, acting as a point of contact that can liaise between themselves, the police and the investigating officer.
Is there anything you want prospective students to know about safety on campus?
As I say, the campus is a safe place but it’s important that individuals know how to keep themselves safe as well. So, for example, if they’re going out on an evening then it’s important to understand where the best routes are to travel safely to and from the University; avoiding places that aren’t well lit or have limited CCTV.
It’s important that students look after their own personal safety – telling friends where they’re going for example, is another good tip, making sure your phone is charged, travelling in groups. All these things are ways in which students can keep themselves safe.
How do you work with the campus Security team?
I work closely with the Security team. I link in with them every morning when I start my shift. I’ll always check to see what’s been going on in and around the area – thankfully, there’s never much that goes on which is good. The Security team will make me aware of any incidents, even small ones like lost property. Anything I can potentially help and support them with.
The Security team will be the ones to deal with most things that happen on campus, I’m there to give them an extra layer of support. It’s only when there’s any criminality involved that I’ll step in. If someone doesn’t want to report something to me, they can speak to the Security team. Similarly, if you report something to me and I can’t provide the appropriate support, I’ll consult with the Security team.
How does the Safer Student Officer provide support for International Students?
Obviously, Huddersfield, like most universities, have a lot of international students. They may come from places where the laws differ, or the general environment feels quite different. My role is to try and give some prevention advice and give them an indication of what the police are like in this country. In the UK, we police by consent. So, for me, it’s showing that the police are approachable, and we can assist anyone that needs any form of help. I’ve got some events planned throughout the year with international students to discuss safety on campus and some of the things they need to know to stay safe.
In terms of Huddersfield, what is safety like beyond the campus?
Huddersfield is a safe place but, like anywhere, crime does happen. We’ve got a good policing presence in the community. We’ve got an excellent town centre team that look after that area and many officers that work that beat, which is just on the periphery of the University.
Crime does occur but the risk to individuals is low and it’s important that people understand that. However, it’s about having some level of safety about you. Think about where you’re attending, where you’re choosing to spend time, who you’re seeing, for example. I would stick with the networks you have from the University; friends and known associates. But it’s perfectly fine to go into the town centre. There are plenty of bars and cafés, as well as a new cinema, and they’re all well run and all safe, but the police are there if needed and I’m here if students need me.
You’ve touched on this already but how else could students support and promote safety on campus?
In terms of maximising safety on the campus, if you think something is wrong or suspicious, or have concerns about a friend that you think is a victim of crime, then it’s important that you report that to the security team or me so we can provide the correct level of service to them. We don’t just deal with crime as police, we deal with a lot of people that might be struggling mentally and, again, we can support and signpost them in the right direction. The University also have a great wellbeing team that we work alongside and can direct people towards those channels if needed.
Where is best for people to find help on campus if they need it?
So, the Security team are based on the roundabout at the Queensgate entrance, inside the Harold Wilson building, just as you walk on site. They are there 24 hours a day and there’s always a guard on duty every single day of the year.
Myself, I’m based in the Oastler building on level 5.5. I work Monday-Friday, 8am till 4pm. However, if you need the police outside those hours, you can always call 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency. If it’s not a pressing matter and you’d like to speak to a friendly face, like me, you can always make an appointment with me, and I’ll be happy to see you whenever it suits you.
Thanks so much, Joe!
If you would like to contact Joe about a safety concern or to find out more about campus safety measures, you can email him on j.dainton@hud.ac.uk.
To find out more about campus safety, read our Staying Safe at Huddersfield page.
