I sat down with one of the most prominent figures in the realm of crime and punishment at Dartmouth, Harry Kinne, director of Safety and Security and College proctor, to find out what he had to say about Dartmouth, his job and the pervasiveness of lawbreaking at the College.
Q: Did you always want to be a security officer?
A: When I was little, I actually wanted to be a veterinarian. I am not sure why I love dogs. I have to say that science and math were not my strengths, so pretty early on in my college career, I decided I'd better go down another track.
Q: How would you describe yourself in three words?
A: Happy, confident, intuitive.
Q: How would you describe Dartmouth students on the whole in three words?
A:Bright, creative, extraordinarily interesting. I meet a lot of students, and that's a part of my job that I really enjoy. And some of the students, who have done extraordinary things and who have unusual and sometimes unique interests, and then I am always impressed if they have a game plan in what they're going to do to pursue those interests.
Q: What is the most absurd crime alert you have ever received?
A: I had an individual call one time this was many years ago and he was saying that he was concerned. This person had nothing to do with the college I was working with, but he knew that our department was spying on him. And the reason he knew that was that he saw cameras that were near his apartment and then he saw one of our public safety cars go by. He put two and two together and was determined, for a number of years, that we were actually providing covert surveillance of his apartment. His name was Walter, and he used to call once a month and complain. Obviously, he lived off campus, we had no cameras, we just happened to be driving by his house one day and he decided that that was something that he was going to complain about for about five years.
Q: What does your average breakfast comprise of?
A: I like grits. They're kind of plain and so I enjoy that. Often times I'll eat vegetables for breakfast too. Primarily, I'll eat spinach. It's kind of quirky, but I enjoy it, and it's very few calories in the morning, which is a way for me to be able to stay in shape. Once a week I do have a very traditional breakfast, usually on Fridays, and I go to Lou's and have a great breakfast.
Q: What fictional superhero do you identify with most?
A: George of the Jungle and Dudley Do-Right. Dudley Do-Right is a cartoon character on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Dudley Do-Right was a Mounty, but he wasn't exactly a very efficient Mounty.
Q: If you could be a security officer anywhere in the world, in any period of time, where and when would it be?
A: I am actually extraordinarily happy to be at Dartmouth College right now because I think it's a very exciting time. I think it's a great time to be in the campus public safety profession. I wouldn't want to be back in the 50s because our profession wasn't developed then. I am very interested in knowing what the profession is going to be like in 30 years.
Q: What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now?
A: If I had all my druthers, I would still be working at Dartmouth. We would have an accredited agency, and I would still be doing many of the things I am doing now. I feel that Dartmouth is very much a home, and I am very happy at Dartmouth and feel that campus Safety and Security is really valued at Dartmouth by the College. I think our relationship with the students is very positive, and that's something everybody in the department has worked hard on because that's the only way you can be effective on a college campus is if you have good relationships with students. And that's been a primary goal of mine since I've come here.
Q: Is there something you'd like to say to the Dartmouth community?
A: I have a tradition whenever I talk to The D before Homecoming, I say to people, we want everybody to have a good time, but we want them be safe and the best way to do that is everything in moderation.
