About Security & Traffic at UNB Fredericton

UNB Security and Traffic operates 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year to ensure the Fredericton campus is a safe environment for all students, faculty, staff and visitors. The unit looks after the physical security of the buildings on campus, responds to incidents, attends medical calls, conducts proactive patrols, enforces traffic regulations and provides security related presentations on request among other duties.

Security & Traffic oversees the Student Campus Patrol, which provides event security for student events, sporting events and other functions.

Responding to more than 1,200 calls per year

Today our security members respond to over 1,200 calls for service a year for things like traffic accidents, assaults, theft, medical emergencies, suicidal persons, fires and anything else that is required. As we move forward into the 21st century the department will undergo even more change to keep current and maintain the highest level of service possible.

Our unit has leveraged technology through the use of its camera system as well as the introduction of a new safety/mass notification app in 2020. UNB Safe is a modern communication tool that provides many safety features for people on campus. It provides a simple method to contact security and other emergency services as well as being a platform for safety tips and finding support services.

UNB Security & Traffic has been proudly serving the Fredericton campus for over 60 years. We look forward to continuing our legacy of providing a safe environment for the UNB community.

Department history

In late December 1957 the Corps of Commissionaires was hired to provide security for the University of New Brunswick on the Fredericton campus. The initial complement required its three staff members to work six days a week.

Prior to this date the buildings each had independent heating and required someone to work the furnace and fight fires. They also acted as security for the building and conducted rounds. They kept track of the rounds by using punch clocks which were carried by the person on patrol to the various stations. There were fewer buildings at that time, however, staff numbers increased to keep pace with development. By the mid 1970s the unit had grown to 40 full time staff, but, has since decreased in size.

In 1961, the first chief of security was hired and by 1969 the commissionaires were converted to full time in-house campus security staff into the unit we now know as UNB Security & Traffic. For the first four decades the unit wore their distinctive green uniforms. The uniforms inspired students to nickname security staff “The Green Hornets.”

The first chief of security, James Barnett, was hired in 1961. Mr. Barnett was the former chief of police for Marysville, N.B. He was succeeded by Charles Williamson (1969 -1989), who was then succeeded by Rick Peacock. The title changed at this time from chief of security to Director of Security & Traffic. Aside from this title change, the military ranks used by the subordinate positions such as sergeant and corporal were also replaced with the titles operations supervisor and patrol supervisor. Mr. Peacock was succeeded by an interim director, Kyle Jones, in 1999. In the year 2000, Reginald Jerrett became director and subsequently retired in 2009. In 2010, Bruce Rogerson assumed the reins of the unit until his retirement in September of 2016. Operations Supervisor Randy Mahoney filled in as Acting Director until the arrival of the current director, Don Allen, in March 2017.

The original office for security was located in Sir Howard Douglas Hall. It was relocated to Annex "B" in 1969. Annex “B” was located across from MacLaggan Hall, but, has since been removed. In 1993 the campus security office moved to the lower level of the Wu Centre. After 25 years in the Wu Centre, in April of 2018, Security & Traffic moved to its current home in the Capital Planning and Operations building at the corner of Kings College Road and Dineen Drive.

Since the creation of the department, a traffic enforcement administrator position was added and in 2012 a position dedicated to crime prevention and community relations was created.