Earlier this semester, several students fell victim to various forms of crime on and off Grounds. By the end of September, nine students reported they had been the victims of crimes including attempted robbery, burglary and vandalism.
With final examinations and the end of the semester just around the corner, University officials reflect on the responses prompted by these various incidents and emphasize the precautions students can take to prevent crime.
The University has taken several measures in response to the breakout of crime earlier in the semester, explained Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer. After the Lambeth Field Apartments break-ins, an investigation was conducted to find the perpetrators. Police forces were also adjusted to provide better security in the area.
Third-year Education graduate student Tyler Davis, who had her laptop stolen from her West Range room in September, said she has not noticed a much larger police presence near her room, but said she does not feel unsafe on Grounds.
"I don't feel any less safe, but I don't feel more safe," Davis said. "I just feel the same."
Measures were also taken by University officials to secure off-Grounds areas in response to the shooting of a student on Wertland Street in September. Sandridge said he, along with University Police Chief Michael Gibson and City Manager Gary O'Connell, met with managers of apartments on and around Wertland and 14th Street to secure the areas with a high density student population.
Sandridge said he believes these measures helped contribute to the drastic decline in crime over the semester.
"I think that the increased police presence and investigation of crimes did contribute to curtailment of criminal activity in those areas," he said.
It is not unusual to have flare-ups of crime like those witnessed earlier in the semester, he added.
"I don't like to say that crime is ever normal, but it is not unusual for us to have periods of crime, particularly if you have a group or a single person perpetrating, because [they] tend to do [so] until driven away by law enforcement," he said.
Mark Fletcher, chair of the University's Security and General Safety Committee, said after the Lambeth break-ins, committee members and University police met with residents and student leaders to address their concerns.
The committee also conducted its annual fall night tour of Grounds and paid particular attention to Lambeth, making sure paths were properly lit and cleared for students, Fletcher said.
"The whole stretch of road from University Way down to the north side of Lambeth and all the lighting there is because of recommendations [made] by the committee" in the past, he said.
Sandridge added that while students are gone over the break, the University will be evaluating a variety of things to make sure next semester remains relatively crime-free, such as checking for property exposure and using joint patrols between University and City Police.
Sandridge said he urges students to remain safe over break by driving carefully, especially if traveling long distances, and properly securing their property and valuables before leaving.
Fletcher added that during exams it is important to remember to be aware of surroundings when walking home late at night. This includes not listening to iPods or talking on cell phones, Sandridge said.
"The bottom line is that we are a very open community," Sandridge said. "We like our freedom to move around, and yet we have to recognize that we are not immune to criminal activity."
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