The Security team at the University of Warwick have been presented with a prestigious "Blue Lamp" award by the West Midlands Police in recognition of the outstanding level of co-operation between the University's Security team and Coventry police officers .

In particular the award recognizes a number of co-operative initiatives

• The use of covert Cameras on campus supplied by the police which have resulted in a number of burglars being apprehended red handed
  
• Special combined operations during freshers week to get crime prevention information and equipment disseminated to all new students
  
• A special campaign on cycle thefts that led to half a dozen arrests
  
• The University's purchase of two top of the range cycles for the two Coventry police on the University beat allowing to quickly access every corner of the campus.
  

In the last year the crime rate on campus has fallen by 7.3% and arrests are up 42%

"This close level of cooperation between the University's security team and the police is making our campus increasingly unattractive to thieves and an even more attractive place for our staff and students to live and work" said University Security Manager Royce Farr.

The University of Warwick security team were presented with their award in a short ceremony at Coventry's Chace Avenue Police Station on Thursday 14th October.

For further information contact:

Peter Dunn,
Press and Media Relations Manager
University of Warwick Tel: 024 76 523708
p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

PR136 PJD 14th October 2004