Perceptions of Special Constables on University Campuses

Universities across the country employ special constables as part of their efforts to create safe campus environments. These officers engage in a variety of responsibilities, and are often the first to respond to students, staff, and faculty experiencing safety concerns. This thesis examines the role of special constables in Ontario post-secondary campuses and their perceptions of the work they do on campus. Interviews with forty special constables employed across Ontario universities garnered a glimpse into the type of work that campus safety officers respond to, the value they perceive of the work undertaken, the impression they believe others have of them as special constables, and their interactions with students while addressing issues of safety and security on campus. While campus crime management (including behavioural concerns related to safety) relies upon campus safety, few studies focus on the those directly responsible for addressing crime on campus (Allen, 2015). Findings illustrate that there is a lack of understanding of the work undertaken by special constables, and a perceived lack of respect and support. Theories that guided the research included Human Development & Capabilities Approach, student development theories, and critical race theory. Aspects of the Capabilities Approach, such as what one achieves and how they are able to garner achievements, along with what one values as part of their well-being and whether the social environment supports well-being (Sen, 1997) are used to understand the officers’ motivations, values, and preparedness for the role they hold. Student development theories provide insight into the campus student community, those key actors with whom officers interact, and the impact of these interactions. Finally, critical race theory is used to examine policing as a research theme both from the perspectives of those who are policed and those doing the policing. In particular, it provides insight into the narratives of Black officers working as special constables in a post-secondary environment as well as issues of intersectionality and oppressions experienced by officers.

Department dc:contributor.department

Leadership, Higher and Adult Education

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Urie, Andrea Elizabeth

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Wheelahan, Leesa

• capabilities approach
• critical race theory
• policing
• special constable
• student development
• university

Statement dc:rights

• Attribution 4.0 International

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1807/140834

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utoronto.scholaris.ca:1807/140834