On-campus parking issues dominated the second of three public forums for the director of public safety position Thursday.
Acting Director Gene Burton, who is one of the three finalists for the position, told an audience of about 25 people he is content with the current parking available on campus because more visitor and short-term parking exists this year than in any time in the past.
But Burton said a review of the current parking regulations on campus, which have been in effect for about 10 years, would be appropriate.
Burton also said surveys the Department of Public Safety has conducted dispute complaints about the issue.
"According to the surveys, we're right where we should be," Burton said.
If Burton were selected to permanently head the public safety department, he said he would have parking services continue enforcing its rules in a "courteous and responsive" way.
"You keep singing the song until it gets through, or you lose your voice," Burton said about enforcing parking rules. "I can't put 3,000 spots next to the front door."
Besides addressing on-campus parking, Burton also outlined his short-term and long-term goals for the University Police Department.
Burton said the most important short-term issue would be to add more structure and guidance to the department of 32 officers. He said 32 officers was an appropriate number to have on a campus the size of Ball State's "when managed correctly."
His management style consists of taking a hands-on approach to issues and delegating work to officers, he said.
"I'm a good listener so I like to get feedback about what's going on," Burton said. "I'm a team player, not a dictator."
Burton's long-term goals if he was selected would include getting UPD accredited, he said.
"What we need to strive for is becoming one of the top-rated departments in the country," Burton said.
Besides getting UPD accredited, Burton said the department needs to do a better job of educating the public about itself. He said the department could do this through setting up programs with students and student groups to improve interaction with the university's population.
Burton, who has been a part of UPD for 22 years, received his degree in criminal justice from Ball State in 1980.7723+â-Ç&*FBurton forum for 10/11/02DNEditorial772SORT+â-ä2AUDT
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