PC Mark Wrigley joined the University of Lincoln in March 2022 in a partnership with Lincolnshire Police.
Anyone who feels unsafe or wants to report a crime can approach PC Wrigley during his campus patrols or be directed to him through Student Wellbeing or the Student Support Centre.
PC Wrigley says his role is about supporting the student community, rather than controlling it.
‘’It’s not targeting students, its working with students and working with the community to integrate and build bridges with both parties.
‘’It’s all about community and communication, it’s not about discipline. My role is all about building relationships with the local community and increasing that safe environment.’’
Director of Student Services, Jacqueline Mayer, said one key reason the university funded a campus police officer was to protect the rapidly growing student population.
Despite concerns there might be resistance to a police presence, Miss Mayer says the response so far has been positive.
‘’We recently did a report on how it’s been going, and we asked the Students’ Union, and they feel it’s a welcome edition and students have more confidence in the police as a result.
‘’We’ve not had any negative comments about it at all, which is brilliant.’’
PC Wrigley agreed that a uniformed officer has improved trust between students and police, in particular breaking down barriers with international students.
He added: ‘’The uniform can put people off if they’ve come from a country where they do not have as much trust in their police.
‘’I think being in uniform and just being approachable helps encourage students to not be scared of the police. We’re here to help.’’
Miss Mayer also revealed hopes for expanding the Police presence on campus.
She said: ‘’We want to embed a campus police officer into the university community for the foreseeable future.
‘’As the University grows, there might be talks with Lincolnshire Police about a PCSO or another officer.’’
If you feel unsafe or in immediate danger, PC Wrigley advises students and staff to ring 999.
If the issue is not urgent, PC Mark Wrigley can be contacted via student wellbeing.