Sinclair’s top priority during this pandemic is the safety of the students and staff. If you have visited the campus you have seen people posted at the main entrances of each building in green jackets sitting by a table. Campus police have also been assigned areas to patrol.
Recent liberal arts graduate of Sinclair, Courtney Jackson is working on campus part-time to help with the precautions that Sinclair is taking to protect everyone in and outside the building. Jackson is one month into her job as unarmed security for Sinclair campus.
The unarmed security is hired to make sure students walking through are following CDC regulations. In some buildings, there is more foot traffic than others. Jackson mentioned that she sees roughly 10-15 students on average coming to campus.
“The janitorial team comes in on a daily basis and is frequently cleaning the bathrooms and open areas,” said Jackson.
The safety of students and staff continues to be a top priority for Sinclair and everyone’s job is to help protect one another from COVID-19.
The unarmed security has hand sanitizer and pamphlets for those coming to Sinclair who might not be familiar with the campus on their table. From her personal experience, she has not encountered a tough situation with someone refusing to wear a mask, but even if so, the staff have a radio, and campus police can assist.
Assistant Chief of Sinclair Police Department, Mike Cost discussed how Sinclair police have worked to enforce precautions on campus. Cost states that the job for his department has changed in the aspect of being more aware of their surroundings and being mindful.
Like everyone else outside of the campus, Sinclair police must practice social distancing when approaching someone. Staff have different masks for those who come in without one or need one. They have access to cloth masks, N95 masks, as well as surgical masks so students and others coming to campus have options on something that will be comfortable for them. Staff carry nitrone gloves with them to pick something up and prevent any sort of contamination spread.
Assistant Chief states that Vice President Jeff Miller oversees multiple departments including the contact dispatch team that is in place in case of an outbreak of COVID-19. These dispatch teams are the first responders and Sinclair Police report to them.
It should be noted that wearing a mask has been a recurring conflict for people in grocery stores and other public areas. When asking Cost if he has had any difficult situations on campus of anyone not cooperating, he says, “No, it’s actually been the opposite. Everyone seems to be cooperating with the masks and we were actually expecting worse.”
Working together and cooperating is what is making Sinclair a safe place for those students and professors going to class. Assistant Chief Cost is grateful and says, “Thank you to those who are following the protocols. It is greatly appreciated from our department.” Communicating and working together is what will keep those around us safe. The hope for the future is to overcome this pandemic and that starts with each individual who walks outside.
For more information on how to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/ and maintain up to date on state regulations.
Jennifer Tellez
Reporter