Campus Security bike unit receives police-level training

By Matty Hume, July 20 2018 —

The University of Calgary Campus Security bike team is celebrating a unique milestone after two members of the Campus Security team went to Colorado in May to attend the Law Enforcement Bicycle Association’s (LEBA) instructor training program.

According to the head of Campus Security, Brian Sembo, U of C Campus Security is the first non-police organization to be accepted to the LEBA training program.

“This year, UCalgary’s dynamic Campus Security bike unit became the first non-police organization to be accepted into the LEBA elite instructor training program,” Sembo said in a statement. “The fact that Campus Security was identified to be of the calibre for LEBA training means they see our staff as being on par with the Calgary Police Service (CPS) riders.”

The two Campus Security workers who received the training in Colorado are Tesha Lingren and Jean Beaudoin. According to Sembo, that training can now be extended to other members of Campus Security.

“This means cycling security workers can now be trained and recertified every year, on campus,” he said.

In an article published by UToday, Lingren said Campus Security’s involvement with LEBA came from the organization’s connection with CPS.

“LEBA doesn’t train instructors unless they are sworn law enforcement, so we thought it was a lost cause,” Lingren said. “We asked a Calgary police officer who we’ve worked with before to vouch for us — then the dream became reality.”

The UToday article also says that Campus Security is working to extend the bike unit’s activities through the winter months.

According to Sembo, keeping Campus Security workers on bicycles makes them more accessible and approachable for the campus community.

“The benefits to the campus community lay in having security members more visible and approachable on campus,” Sembo said. “And also the efficiency of being able to get where we need to go faster than walking or driving.”