The Narragansett Police Department is working with the University of Rhode Island to promote community well-being and safety through weekly meetings and student outreach, according to Dean of Students Dan Graney .
Well-being is a strategic goal for both URI’s division of student affairs and the University as a whole, according to Graney. Well-being encompasses not only mental health, but physical, emotional and spiritual health.
URI has seen an increase in mental health concerns for students coming to the University nationwide, Graney said. With pre-existing mental health issues, students might struggle adjusting and connecting in the school environment.
“The University has put a tremendous amount of resources towards helping students both in the counseling center and other places on campus to assist them in being successful,” Graney said.
The Dean of Students Office has a long standing relationship with the Narragansett police, Graney said.
In order to encourage communication and community about the conduct system, the Dean of Students Office and the Narragansett police meet weekly to deliver reports ranging from traffic violations to serious incidents, according to Graney.
“It’s about learning from your mistakes, when in the community, it could be seen as more punitive,” Graney said. “It’s really about how did we end up in this situation or how did you end up in this situation.”
The Narragansett police aim to keep community members safe, Paul Ricci, the deputy police chief at URI, said. Once someone violates the law, police and Graney get involved. When there is a situation where staff, students or faculty feel unsafe, information is shared to solve the problem.
Student behavior can affect how law is followed in the community, Ricci said. URI police focuses on the legal aspect when it comes to promoting student well-being. For example, the police understand that students will do things that break the law, such as underage alcohol consumption, and worry about how it impacts the community — rather than the law itself.
“It’s not so much the thrill of arresting somebody, it’s the idea of what could’ve happened to them or others,” Ricci said.
When it comes to student arrests, URI doesn’t have the power to arrest, so law enforcement steps into that role, Ricci said. If an arrest occurs, the school is made aware of it. If needed, the student or students who were arrested can be sent to URI Health Services.
The URI Department of Public Safety also does a lot of general outreach in order to ease relationships with students, according to Dawn Bergantino, the interim assistant director of external relations and communications.
URI police put on events — giving food to students and working to break down the barriers between them, Ricci said. These events open up more communication between the police and students while removing an intimidation factor.
Both the URI and Narragansett police departments can help the well-being of arrested students by taking them to the Dean of Students Office, Ricci said. There, students can plead their case.
If an arrest involves a violent or harmful situation, there is not much the Dean of Students Office can do to help the student, according to Ricci. However, if the arrest involved a lapse in judgment by the people involved, then the plea process could be an educational opportunity. The Narragansett police would rather use that opportunity than put a student arrest into the federal court system.
“We want you to graduate,” Ricci said. “The goal is to make sure that our community is safe and people do what they’re here for and get their education.”
The University hears complaints from town residents that are frustrated with living with students, Graney said. Graney understands their frustrations but said that police are not there to target students, but to be a resource for them.