STUDENTS TO STORM CAMPUS WATCH

University of Otago students are today expected to storm the Campus
Watch offices in protest at what they say is harassment and
intimidation of students.

But the university says it will not tolerate "illegal" activity on
campus and any protest will be met with a police response.

Abe Gray, president of the Otago branch of marijuana law reform group
Norml, said Campus Watch officers were becoming the "Dunedin Gestapo".

"Campus Watch is not here to help students or to keep them safe. They
are here to intimidate them and force them to fall in line or face
punishment," Otago Norml said in an email to its supporters yesterday.

Campus Watch is a 24-hour seven-day-a-week operation using up to 50
officers. They have patrolled North Dunedin streets since February
last year and are credited with reducing disorder.

However, Otago University Students Association president Simon Wilson
said since Campus Watch had taken over the university's security
services, it had stopped looking after students and started trying to
trip them up.

"They are there to keep students in line. The original thinking
behind Campus Watch was that they were a friendly group, giving
students advice. Now, they are much more of an enforcement group."

There had been evidence of officers following students because they
thought they were suspicious, or being overbearing in their dealing
with students.

Mr Gray said Campus Watch officers had recently started "targeting
and persecuting" students who smoked cannabis.

He said a male student was arrested for possessing cannabis on Monday
after a Campus Watch officer alerted police. The student was
"illegally searched", Mr Gray said, and found to have a pipe and
cannabis in his pockets.

This followed another incident where a Campus Watch officer allegedly
"harassed" a student studying in the main library because he had gone
out to have a joint in his break.

"Campus Watch is not contributing positively to the university
environment and they need to be sent a very strong message that these
type of actions are unacceptable."

Mr Wilson said the "student body" had asked for the protest and it
would be followed by a formal approach to the university. The group
was to gather on the Union Lawn at 4.30pm and walk to the offices. He
expected more than 100 people to be involved.

University Student Services director David Richardson said through an
emailed statement:"As we have consistently stated, the university
does not tolerate illegal activity on campus and the police will be
called to deal with this activity when it occurs."