Southwestern
University Case Study: G Aggregate PlanningWith the rising demands of a successful football program the campus police
chief at Southwestern University John Swearingen wants to develop a two-year
plan that involves a request for additional resources. The SWU department
currently has 26 sworn officers. The size of the force has not changed over the
past 15 years but the following changes have prompted the chief to seek more
resourcesThe size of the
athletic program especially football has increased. The college has expanded
geographically with some new research facilities and laboratories now miles
away from the main campus. Traffic and parking problems have increased. More portable
expensive computers with high theft potential are distributed across the
campus. Alcohol and drug problems have increased. The size of the surrounding
community has doubled. The police need to spend more time on education and
prevention programs.The college is
located in Stephenville Texas a small town about 30 miles southwest of the
Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. During the summer months the student population
is around 5000. This number swells to 20000 during the fall and spring
semesters. Thus demand for police and other services is significantly lower
during the summer months. Demand for police services also varies by: Time of the day (peak time is between
10 p.m. and 2 a.m.) Day of the week (weekends are the
busiest).Weekend of the year (on football
weekends 50000 extra people come to campus) Special Events (check-in check-out
commencement) Football
weekends are especially difficult to staff. Extra police service is typically
needed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on five football Saturdays. All 26 officers are
called in to work double shifts. More than 40 law enforcement officers from
surrounding locations are paid to come in on their own time and a dozen state
police lend a hand free of charge (when available). Twenty-five students and
local residents are paid to work traffic and parking. During the last academic
year (a nine-month period) overtime payments to campus police officers totaled
over $120000.Other relevant
data include the following: The average starting salary for a police officer is
$32000. Work-study and part-time students and local residents who help with
traffic and parking are paid $12.00 an hour. Overtime is paid to police
officers who work over 40 hours a week at the rate of $20.00 an hour. Extra officers
who are hired part time from outside agencies also earn $20.00 an hour. There
seems to be unlimited supply of officers who will work for the college when
needed for special events. With days off vacations and average sick leave
considered it takes five people to cover one 24-hour seven-days-a-week
positions. The schedule of officers during fall and spring semesters is: Weekdays/Weekends:
First shift (7 a.m.-3
p.m.) Second shift (3
p.m.-11 p.m.) Third Shift (11
p.m.-7 a.m.) There is staffing
for football weekends and special events in addition to the preceding schedule.
Summer staffing is on average half of the hours shown.Swearingen
thinks that his present staff is stretched to the limit. Fatigued officers are
potential problems for the department and the community. In addition neither
time nor personnel has been set aside for the crime prevention safety or
health programs. Interactions of police officers with students faculty and
the staff are minimal and usually negative in nature. In light of these
problems the chief would like to request funding for four additional officers
two assigned to new programs and two to alleviate the overload on his current
staff. He would also like to begin limiting overtime to 10 hours per week for
each officer.Discussion Questions
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