When Tom Saccenti, Director of the Furman University Police Department, came to Furman in July 2013, he had a top priority: moving the police department out of McAllister Auditorium. University Police had been located behind McAllister for at least 35 years, or as Saccenti put it, “longer than anyone here can remember.”

Now, the University Police have a new office, located in the bottom floor of Hipp Hall, that is spacious, professional, and welcoming, an image that Saccenti said University Police had been trying to achieve but which had been hindered by their old location.

The old location was logistically inconvenient. All 14 officers had to share one office, making shift changes confusing and potentially dangerous should an emergency be called in. The dispatch desk was located in the front of the office instead of the administrative desk, making it confusing for visitors and awkward for officers who had to respond to calls while making visitors wait.

The administrative desk was located in the hallway, which was inconvenient for officers, administrators, and visitors. Perhaps the worst aspect of the old location was that it did not have a restroom.

Saccenti said the new office is modern and spacious, with an administrator at the front of a designated waiting room.

The new office is also equipped with a soundproof interview room where people can report crime with the guarantee of confidentiality. The new location is also easier to access, closer to offices in the Trone Center, and more towards the heart of campus.