Police Chief Boisse P. Correa has rejected a proposal to have off-duty police officers augment campus security patrols at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, University of Hawai'i-Manoa school officials said yesterday.

UH has tightened security following a dorm-room assault on a student last month. In addition, two off-campus faculty apartments — in an area patrolled by UH security — were broken into Monday and thieves made off with more than $3,000 in jewelry.

UH proposed hiring two off-duty police officers to help patrol the campus from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.

Correa believes patrolling the campus is the responsibility of the state and has concerns about whether off-duty Honolulu police officers fulfilling a special-duty contract can provide the type of security service school officials are looking for.

Police department spokesman Capt. Frank T. Fujii declined to comment about the department's decision. "We're trying to reach UH officials to discuss the matter," he said.

"For the past three or four years, they had been talking about it (police patrolling the campus), so I was surprised when the issue was resolved, but I guess it's not," said Dr. Theresa Wee, president of the Parents and Friends of UH-Manoa. "That is disappointing."

Crime at the Manoa campus has decreased 47 percent over the past three years, but community members and students were alarmed when two break-ins occurred the weekend before the fall semester started, including one in which an 18-year-old freshman was attacked.

The university is moving toward 24-hour operations at the student housing reception desks and conducting ID checks at the freshman Hale Aloha dorm complex.

All the Hale Aloha doors were tested and re-cored to make sure all room and restroom keys work properly. Students who leave their doors unlocked may be advised against that by residence hall staff.

"UH and HPD officials are still communicating on this matter," Arlene Abiang, a UH spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

Monday's break-ins occurred in the Kau'iokahaloa Iki Faculty Housing Condominiums on Lowrey Avenue, about 1.2 miles from cmapus in Manoa Valley. The break-ins were discovered by the residents when they returned home Monday night.

The homes were forcibly broken into and the contents ransacked, school officials said. In both cases it appears that only jewelry and loose cash were taken.

"In my experience, we haven't had a lot of (break-ins at faculty apartments)," UH Campus Security Chief Neal Sakamoto said. "It's part of our property, and we patrol the area as often as possible and we advise the residents how best to secure their area."

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.