March 2, 1995: Vol26n19: Newly appointed Public Safety Director speaks to FSEC

By STEVE COX
Reporter Staff
Your odds of being a victim of crime at some point during the year are
one in 13 in the city of Buffalo, according to UB Public Safety
Director John Grela.
	The good news, though, is that the odds of becoming a crime
victim on campus are only one in 52, Grela said during a briefing of
the Faculty Senate Executive Committee on Feb. 21.
	UB Public Safety ranks as one of the 13 busiest police
departments in Erie County, handling 35,000 to 40,000 calls a year,
according to Grela. "We handle everything from opening doors to
arresting felons."
  Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Cliff Wilson, in
introducing Grela, announced officially that "acting" had been dropped
from his title. Grela was appointed, effective that morning, permanent
Public Safety Director following a nationwide candidate search. Grela
had served as Acting Public Safety Director since Lee Griffin's
retirement last year.
	Wilson lauded Grela's work in community-oriented policing,
which takes a "problem-oriented, consumer-friendly approach to law
enforcement."
Grela said the new approach is getting
great reviews by "consumers" of Public Safety services. "We are being
proactive, and bring the community and the police together in problem
solving." He adds, "We have even arrested people who were grateful for
the treatment they received, versus other police agencies that have
arrested them in the past."
	Mathematics Professor Samuel Schack added a personal
testimonial to the quality of community policing. Last week, Schack
called Public Safety after smelling marijuana as he walked by a room
in Diefendorf Hall. The next morning, a Public Safety officer called
him back to thank him for making the call. He realized then that it
was his call that led to the arrest of two juveniles in that room who
had handguns and drugs in their possession.
	"You usually don't give it a second thought. I was just going
to stick my head in there and tell these kids to leave," said Schack,
"never anticipating that they might not be students and could be
armed. The lesson is, don't walk into something like that; call 2222."