It may have happened quietly, but Yalies returned last weekend to a campus under the protection of a beefed-up security detail.

A Yale Security program begun Jan. 7 designated six permanent security officers to patrol courtyards daily between 4 p.m. and 12 a.m. in order to establish a more concrete presence within the residential colleges. Students interviewed were mostly unaware of the new officers’ presence, which University and residential-college administrators say is a response to a spate of burglaries and trespassing reported by students in the fall.

“We looked at a way to increase coverage inside the courtyard,” explained University Deputy Secretary Martha Highsmith, “and we’ve been able to do that by redeploying some of our resources,”

She added, “I think it’s been perceived as a helpful addition.”

There were 140 incidents of theft or burglary and nine incidents of attempted theft or burglary reported to the Yale Police Department last semester, although not all of these incidents occurred in residential colleges, according to YPD crime logs. According to the 2006 Yale University Report on Campus Security, there were 99 reported burglaries and thefts, 52 of which took place in residence halls, in 2006.

Six security guards will be assigned to a pair of colleges each: Berkeley and Calhoun, Trumbull and Saybrook, Davenport and Pierson, Morse and Ezra Stiles, Silliman and Timothy Dwight, and Branford and — following the completion of its renovations this year — Jonathan Edwards. The new policy is an extension of Yale’s community policing initiative and is designed to make the stationed officers an integrated part of the residential-college communities, Highsmith said.

The officers will be responsible, among other things, for ensuring that doors remain closed and secure, checking whether blue phones operate properly and helping students who are locked out of their rooms. Highsmith said the role of the new security officers is not to police parties or drinking in the dormitories but to watch out for students’ safety.

Two Yale Security officers stationed at the colleges declined to speak to the News about their roles and duties; the officers said commenting would detract from their ability to do their jobs.

The Yale Security office pitched the idea for the new officers to the Council of Masters’ Services Committee, which was “very much in favor” of adding officers who would build relationships with the colleges’ students and staff, Council Chair Judith Krauss said.

Calhoun College Master Jonathan Holloway said he has not met the officer in charge of Calhoun but is supportive of the new initiative.

“The fact is that incidents can happen — anytime, anywhere,” he said. “Just having someone around who’s going to check on doors and walk through the college is going to be a big help.”

The security officers plan to meet with residential-college administrators next week, Krauss said.

Berkeley resident Kiet Lam ’10, who has met the security officer responsible for his college, said he thinks the new presence will be reassuring to students. He does not find the presence too intrusive, he said.

“I think it’s actually a good idea, because that way if you’re locked out you don’t have to wait four hours to have someone come,” Lam said.

Other students were uncertain what impact the newly stationed officers would have, explaining that they have not seen the officers patrolling their colleges.

The YPD and Yale Security increased their presence in Silliman, TD, Morse, Berkeley and Davenport last semester receiving numerous reports of theft from students in those colleges.

YPD spokesman Sgt. Steven Woznyk said burglaries and thefts from the colleges were not a problem over winter break, with few incidents being reported to the police.