After reading the letter “Response time too slow” in last week’s issue of The Creightonian, I felt compelled to reply and address several inaccuracies in the letter, as well as the unsettling disregard for a closer opinion. Hence, here I am to attempt to set a few things straight.

I have worked at residence hall front desks for the past two years: last year in McGloin Hall and this year in Kiewit Hall. During my time as a desk receptionist, I have encountered a multitude of incidents which have required the assistance of Public Safety, from CARE cases to door alarms, sick students to facilities emergencies.

Every single time something happens when I need an officer on site, he or she arrives in minutes. The only times that they are delayed are when another incident somewhere else on campus takes precedent. If my situation is less severe than one elsewhere, I understand and allow the officers to budget their time accordingly.

However, some students do not always take as kindly to waiting. This idea — that not every problem can be the number one priority — often leads to resentment from students. They feel entitled to Public Safety’s time and attention (but only when they want it). If they need a charge on their car batteries or a ride home, they can’t seem to understand or accept when something else is happening that is more pressing.

One claim in last week’s article, illustrated by its title (“Response time too slow”), accuses Public Safety of taking too long to handle situations. However, many students do not realize that Public Safety responds much more promptly compared to the time it would take for the Omaha Police Department to arrive on campus. Public Safety is on our campus for exactly that reason: as often as possible, campus issues are handled by campus officers. In an emergency on campus, calling the -2911 number will be much more effective and timely than a call to the Omaha PD will ever be.

Now to address the other most frequent reason for complaints about Public Safety: bitterness over having been caught breaking campus rules and policies. Unfortunately, a lot of spite from students comes from misunderstanding Public Safety’s role on campus. To clarify: Public Safety exists to protect the students and mediate as many on-campus issues as possible. However, many people do not seem to understand this.

The most frequent complaints seem to come from students who have been on the disciplinary side of campus proceedings. They protest the way Public Safety runs, the way officers uphold rules and anything else they possibly can, but the core of their annoyance is likely internal. They are angry about their parking tickets, their CSI hearings and the other reasons they have been in “trouble” with the university.

The sad truth is that most people who hate Public Safety officers hate them because they have done their jobs. They show up; they enforce the rules, and some people revile them for it. Some students fail to notice that Public Safety officers exist to enforce rules and help with situations around campus.

That is their job, and as long as they are doing it, there will be some people who don’t appreciate it. They’ll find reasons to rage against their parking tickets (even though they parked in the wrong place) and against being CARE’d (even though the officers are trying to protect them), and that will probably never change.

In short, Public Safety officers do their jobs to an admirable extent, and students should not make unfounded accusations about their abilities. They show up quickly; they keep us safe; they are our first line of defense, and for that, they deserve respect.