by Julia Cahn & Kelsy Donaldson
For many rising freshmen, leaving for college is the first big experience living away from home. Through all the new information and experiences, staying safe can easily be pushed aside for more exciting opportunities. Captain Tom Maggi was more than happy to sit down and share some advice that he believes will prove useful to all new students.
Captain Maggi is the head of the campus police at Stevens Institute of Technology and has been working at Stevens since 2007. He served 36 years as a police officer and 18 years as a detective; he can easily be summed up in one word: experienced. Maggi takes pride in the average amount of experience the other officers working at Stevens have, which is about 30 years. He describes the relationship between the campus police and the students as being very personal. Maggi said, “The students are our clients.” Maggi happily spoke of his relationships with students that have graduated and boasted about their successes as if they were his own children.
Maggi left us with some advice for incoming freshman, starting with safety. First, he highlighted how fundamental it is for students to lock their doors and mark their property. The police department has a full stock of TI-85 calculators that students have lost, and without names on them, it becomes impossible to return to their owners. Maggi also advised students to
think about where [they] are.” Whether it’s a party or the streets of Hoboken, act accordingly. Lastly, Maggi wants the freshmen to know that it’s okay to “take baby steps.” There will be a time to study and there will be a time to party. He believes that everything should be in moderation, and there will be plenty of time to do it all.
On a more serious note, Maggi wants to make sure students know how to act when in compromising situations. When at a party, students are often reluctant to call for medical help when someone is in trouble, in fear that they’ll be prosecuted. However, in 2013, New Jersey implemented an amnesty law in which participants are granted immunity if someone is endangered. This way, students don’t feel threatened to call for help. This amnesty law is fundamental in protecting students and keeping safety a priority. According to Maggi, the police department doesn’t want to get students in trouble—its goal is to protect the students.
Campus police can help you with practically anything: from flat tires, lock-outs and personal problems to even more serious problems such as a fire or medical emergencies. If you’re around campus and have an serious problem, you can use one of the blue light buttons, or call (201) 216-3911 to access the campus police in an emergency. The campus police office can also be reached at (201) 216-5105 for less time-sensitive problems.
