February 26, 1998

Jason Boone, Staff Writer

Leslie Hitchcock, News Editor

Captain Larry Foster was recently named temporary Acting Director of Public Safety and University Police at Appalachian State University.

Foster replaces Roy Tugman, who retired Dec. 1, 1997.

According to Patrol Commander Loretta Harmon, Foster is a temporary appoinment until a permanant director can be found.

“The job has been posted, and at the end of the month, applications will close.”

After applications are in, a search committee will review and interview applicants, said Harmon.

The committee will then make their recommendations to Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs, Jane Helm, Harmon said.

As director of safety and police, Foster heads approximately 30 officers and staff in the police department, 20 members of the traffic department and Mountaineer Escort.

Within the next six months, however, the police and traffic departments will separate and tentatively move to Rivers Street, said Foster.

Once a director of traffic control is hired, Foster will be able to devote more time to improving the police department, he said.

An evaluation team came in Jan. 1997 to evaluate the University Police, said Foster.
ASU police position temporarily filled
 

“The group made the recommendation to have separate departments which will make them more efficient,” Foster said.

Vice Chancellor Helm agreed to the split, citing that it was a more logical plan, he said.

According to Foster, goals for the department include more training for officers and the development of a community policing program.

“We will now be able to focus strictly on traffic and form a better relationship between the students and the department,” said Foster.

The goal of community policing will involve “getting a foot and bike patrol on campus and having those people in contact with the staff, students and faculty,” said Foster.
 
Foster also anticipates implementing crime prevention programs in the residence halls.
 
These programs are part of Foster’s goal of “assisting in anyway, to help the students in preventing crime.”

The implementation of a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual  is another project Foster is concentrating on.

SOP will help help the department organize and run more smoothly, said Foster.

ASU has been lacking a SOP for quite sometime, said Foster.
 
“Every department has to have something like that and we’ve been operating without one ever since I’ve been here,” said Foster.

Foster has been a part of the Appalachian police force for 20 years.

The new programs and ideas he has will help him reach his long range goal, he said.

“I would like to have this department, in the future, be one of the best university police departments in the 16 university systems.”

Thank you for visiting The Appalachian Online. We hope you enjoy browsing our site to catch up on the latest news that affects Appalachian State University and our community. We welcome your ideas and suggestions.

E-mail The Appalachian Online at theapp@conrad.appstate.edu