Dear future UW Chief of Police,

Your job shouldn’t be about appearances. And it shouldn’t be about the UW’s image.

It should be about making us feel safe and getting the job done. It should be about connecting to students.

There are basic things we would like to see accomplished: more lights in more locations around campus for those of us who need to walk around after dark and more funding for the Husky NightWalk and NightRide program, which at this time doesn’t access locations like Radford Court, where many students reside.

But more to the point, we want to feel connected to you and the UWPD. We know you can’t be everywhere at once and we don’t expect you to be, but there are simple ways you can help us feel we know who is protecting us.

Have officers patrol the campus on foot and have them chat with students more readily. For freshmen or international students, demystifying intimidating authority figures would go a long way.

And why is it that after four years here, most students still have no idea where the UW Police Department is? If someone was attacked on campus and wanted to report it, it’s pretty sad that they’d have to go all the way to Boat Street.

Why isn’t there an office on campus, in a more accessible location, or at least a kiosk or booth, where students can get information, a la the Husky Card Office in Odegaard?

This letter isn’t meant to be accusatory. We know you have a lot on your plate. We also know you can’t be a solution to all of the safety problems at the UW. And we know that we’re probably always going to expect more out of you, as we should.

But once you’re chosen, open yourself up to the students. Let us know your goals.

As we are a student newspaper, feel free to use us as a bridge to the students. We want this university to be a safe place for everyone.

Thanks,

The Daily Editorial Staff