I am a Student Ranger at UNCG, and I’m here to tell you all about this great program known as the Ranger Program!
The Student Ranger program is put on by the UNCG Police Department and is about providing select services to campus during the school year. Our main objective as Student Rangers is to provide safety escorts around campus from the hours of 7pm to 1am. That means if you find yourself leaving a night class or a friends dorm room late and you would prefer to not walk alone, you can give the UNCG police non-emergency phone line a call and request a Student Ranger – myself or one of the others on duty – to come and walk with you to your destination. That phone number is (336)-334-5963.
Other than that, the Student Rangers respond to fire and medical calls, along with the UNCG police officers, to assist them and other first responders in any way necessary. We also lock up academic buildings and help with Move-In at the beginning of each school year!
I became a Student Ranger spring 2015 after visiting a booth the Police Department had set up in the EUC. I originally joined for two reasons: one, I needed a job and something on campus was perfect for me, and two, I wanted to explore the option of law enforcement as a career. At that point, I was an International Global Studies major, trying to go into film-making but after only a short time at the PD, I fell in love with the entire environment – the officers, my partner, the work we did, and simply the atmosphere of the whole place. I quickly changed my major to Sociology with a concentration in Criminology (that’s the closest thing UNCG has to a law enforcement degree), and began my path towards becoming a police officer.
If you or anyone you know is interested in law enforcement, I would highly suggest checking into becoming a Student Ranger. Freshman always have the advantage since the department likes being able to keep the newly trained Rangers for as long as possible before they graduate, so the sooner you apply in your college career, the better! Spots are limited though (there’s only four positions available and currently no openings, sadly) so being prompt and persistent are necessary if you’re serious about it.
To learn more about the UNCG Police Department, other programs we put on including RAD (rape aggression defense) classes and multiple opportunities to meet and talk with the officers in a more informal setting, visit police.uncg.edu!