FAQs - Malcolm Dawson, Operations Manager, Security Services

Let me guess - are you a former police officer?
Yes, 15 years in the North Yorkshire Police Force, including a three-year stint on its Task Force, the major incident response team covering the whole of North Yorkshire, and in CID (Criminal Investigation Branch).

It’s a great grounding. Nothing fazes you after police service. I’ve seen and dealt with practically everything that officers can face. I was trained in firearm use, public order situations, fire and evacuation procedures, and have provided personal protection for Royal visits and even IRA trials.

Blimey! How does life on campus compare?
The scale is bigger than you’d think. I’ve been here 15 years and really enjoy it. Our job is to ensure the safety and security of all staff, students and visitors to the University and to prevent and deter crime on University property.

The old days of simply locking and securing buildings are long gone. Staff are trained to deal with all manner of situations and threats. Our staff are front line, and some have been assaulted and injured in the course of their duties.

So what’s your role exactly?
I used to pound the campus beat but have been promoted several times to reach my current position. I’m now responsible for the whole service and make sure that staff and resources are deployed to the best possible effect. It’s a complex, tightly run operation and there are staff on duty 24 hours a day, every day of the year, covering the whole campus and all the halls of residence.

Why did you leave the police force?
It’s a long story, but in short I wanted to pursue a long-held dream of owning a snooker centre and bought a one-third share in a large snooker and leisure centre.

Ah, snooker loopy nuts, are we?
Oh yes, ever since I was five years old. My dad took me to a snooker club and stood me on a beer crate to reach the table and I was hooked. In fact I became quite a top local player. I even qualified as a snooker coach and at the time was Britain’s second youngest coach at the age of 22. I still play regularly and captain one of York’s top snooker teams.

So what brought you to the University?
Unfortunately the business venture didn’t work out and I needed to find a job fairly quickly. I had a citation from the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police for exemplary service and hoped I’d breeze a job here.

I sense a ‘but’ coming…?
But it took three separate applications before I landed a job in 1991!

Tell me about your team.
It’s a large, high-calibre team - it has to be. All staff are in-house and are trained to deal with all types of incident. We’re also unusual in that we have our own dog section. The dogs receive regular training from West Yorkshire Police and are of such a high standard that we were invited to take part in a display at the North East-North West regional police dog trials. We’re also the only UK university to have a specialised plain clothes team.

Sounds like you’ve got everything covered.
Absolutely. And don’t forget the CCTV cameras, all strategically placed that sweep the whole campus. We also have partnerships with West Yorkshire Police whereby we pass information to each other and run a scheme that gives placements on campus to novice police officers.

That’s really impressive. And comforting to know.
I hope so. I’m proud of the service we provide. It’s a great team with a strong team spirit and we all take our responsibilities very seriously.

And your most frequently asked question?
Can I have tomorrow off, Mal?

Emergencies: phone 32222
Non-emergencies: phone 35495
www.leeds.ac.uk/security

Malcolm Dawson was talking to Jo Kelly.