In some respects, Cowper, the executive director of Campus Police & Parking Services, is the envy of campus security directors across the province when it comes to the systems he has put in place. He’s especially proud of the fully equipped Chevy Tahoe campus police vehicle that could also serve as an emergency command vehicle for the campus.

“When I say it’s got everything, it’s got everything,” he says.

The vehicle contains a defibrillator, maps of the campus, a Panasonic ToughBook laptop computer to receive and transmit video — everything frontline staff would need to run an emergency operation.

Considering where the university is located in the City of Windsor, security is a concern beyond the common campus issues of pub brawls and property thefts.

Looking out of his office window, Cowper can see the Ambassador Bridge. The University of Windsor sits on the Detroit River. The school is also 15 minutes from Michigan’s I-75. A parking lot and major buildings are positioned right beside the bridge. “Because of the traffic and truck volume on the bridge and the traffic in the river, the Ambassador Bridge presents a major terrorist target,” he says.

There’s also a railway line that cuts across the north and south boundaries of the campus with the school’s stadium on the south end of the campus.

“We definitely have some unique geography.”

Cowper arrived at the university seven years ago in May 2002 after a 30-year career with the Windsor police service where he retired as a staff sergeant.