On Patrol
A night in the life of a UPD officer
Rickee Hill, Daily Staff Writer
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"We make sure nothing is damaged," he said.
He removed the gun from the car, took out the shells, and then reloaded it.
"(Officers) don't want to be blamed for the other's mistakes," he said.
Tassio is taking his turn on the night shift, something he and his colleagues rotate through.
While checking the radio, Tassio explained what someone should to do if something happened to him while on a call.
"Push this button and tell dispatch where we are," he said. "Don't worry about me. Just run."
Tassio graduated from the San Jose State University criminal justice program and worked as a security guard at Great America before joining the force at SJSU's University Police Department a year ago.
"It's like a big family," Tassio said. "The chief knows me by my first name."
Tassio compared UPD to a larger agency and said people who work the same shift at a larger department may not know each other's names.
Ric Abeyta, UPD chief-of-police, said in addition to more than 30 sworn police officers, the department includes non-sworn personnel working in administrative support, traffic and parking operations and emergency preparedness.
According to Tassio, UPD officers work 12-hour shifts and are split into four teams, two for the day and two for the evening shifts.
As Tassio began his patrol, he said when officers patrol the campus and its vicinity, they keep their eyes open for a few things, noting that if something seems suspicious, they will check it out.
If any of the building doors look jarred or windows are broken, it would fall under the suspicious category, he said.
Vandalism is another clue that criminal activity has taken place in an area, he said.
After patrolling the campus once and driving through the neighborhood, Tassio spoke of the different homeless and teen shelters in the area surrounding SJSU.
"They're (the shelters) great. We appreciate what they're doing," Tassio said.
According to Tassio, many of the people on the streets who get into trouble aren't looking for information on local shelters.
"Some people may be addicted to drugs or alcohol and they know that the shelters won't accept either substance," Tassio said. "I'll ask them if they want information on a shelter and many times the response is 'no, I'd rather go to jail than a shelter.' They might camp out on porches, or commit crimes. It isn't a major problem, but is still an issue."
Tassio noticed a brake light was out on a low rider style car.
The glittery-painted vehicle was a custom car and had a driver and one passenger. Once the driver noticed the flashing lights of the patrol car behind them, the driver pulled to the curb on Eighth and Santa Clara streets.
Tassio approached the vehicle cautiously, as he said he does for each stop he makes.
He asked to see the license and registration of both parties. The driver claimed he didn't have his license with him. Shortly thereafter, the driver decided he did have a California identification card with him that he had forgotten about.
Tassio called in both numbers to dispatch and searched for any outstanding warrants.
Officer Eric Wong arrived as backup.
The two males were asked to exit the vehicle. Tassio then searched the men and asked them to sit on the curb while the dispatcher ran their records.
In the meantime, Wong searched the vehicle.
The driver was issued a citation because he didn't have a current license and had a restriction for a prior driving incident.
The two males were told to get any belongings out of the vehicle before it was towed.
"We don't want to ever be predictable. We don't have routine routes," Tassio said.
UPD has jurisdiction of the SJSU campus.
According to Tassio, the area of Martha Street, south of campus, used to be known for its presence of drugs and transients.
"It was since cleaned up. It (the problem) just moves from one place to another," Tassio said.
While patrolling a dark, unpaved alley south of campus, Tassio explained that the area has been a known site of prostitution as well as a drop off point for stolen vehicles.
Tassio said the department is informed of what cars have been stolen and is on the lookout for them as they patrol.
"We can run the (license) plate of a car," Tassio said.
According to Tassio, the results will verify the registered owner of the car and will show any violations that may be associated with the vehicle.
As Tassio made his rounds, he often keyed the radio and announced his location. The dispatcher then acknowledged the call and wrote down his location in the event that backup is needed.
According to Tassio, calling for backup is encouraged and is a common occurrence among officers in the department.
"If you're in doubt, you should call it in," Tassio said.
Later in the evening, a stop was made by Wong when a driver ran a red light. While in pursuit of the vehicle, the driver pulled into the back of an apartment building.
The driver and passenger were detained and the vehicle was searched.
Wong discovered a handful of sharp cutting type tools in the driver's side door. Marijuana was also found as well as a small porcelain object referred to as "ninja rocks."
According to Wong, ninja rocks are taken from spark plugs and used to break glass, and are considered burglary tools.
The driver, who was under the age of 21, was given a field sobriety test as well as a breath test.
His breath test determined that he had used a substance and was not in a condition to drive.
The passenger was given the opportunity to drive, although his driver's license came back with a restriction.
The two males were told to take anything of value out of the car because it was going be impounded. Citations were written and the two men were then asked to walk home.
As the night progressed, Tassio drove past a fraternity house that was throwing a party.
Abeyta said UPD is currently providing "primary law enforcement services to recognized fraternities and sororities in the nearby community."
According to Tassio, when a fraternity throws a party, there must be a ratio of one hired security guard to every 150 partygoers.
If a group expects a large amount of people, it is up to them to hire the correct number of security.
Tassio said that many SJPD and UPD officers contract their services on their days off.
According to Tassio, most of the time the actual fraternity members are not the ones creating the trouble.
It is usually the people attend the parties, he said.
"Frat parties usually cause issues with drunk in public," Tassio said.
Abeyta said UPD is an organization committed to quality service and continuous improvement.
As a SJSU community member, Abeyta stated, "You have a right to expect prompt, courteous and professional service from every member of the University Police Department."
Tassio said that he enjoys his job and doesn't have any plans to move to another agency since UPD has been a good agency to work for.
"I like helping people," Tassio said.
