Campus ups security; crime on decline
By: K.J. Stimpson
Issue date: 10/7/08 Section: News
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The reason for the increase in security is not due to a rise in crime on campus, in fact, it looks as though the opposite has occurred.
From the 2005 to the 2007 school years, according to the Campus Crime and Security Statistics, criminal activity on campus has decreased, predominant crimes being burglary, liquor law violations and drug-related violations.
The presence of more security at night is because the University Police Department has a higher budget to employ more student hire and work study students for patrols.
"Dr. (Steven) Gamble (with the support of the UPD) wanted to saturate the campus in the evenings," said Ray Chambers, Chief of Police at the UPD. "So that the students would feel safer, and that we also had eyes and ears to watch out for burglaries-car burglaries, building burglaries and things along those lines."
The UPD obtained more funding for the security program with the assistance of President Gamble and Vice President of Business Affairs, Scott Smart.
As of now, Chambers said, six student security guards patrol the campus at night. They do not carry guns, but each student patrol is provided with a radio, uniform and form of official identification when in plain clothes during their on-duty patrol hours.
According to Chambers, each student security guard goes through ongoing in-house training covering what they are to do during their patrol.
Chambers said he would like to hire more student security guards to provide security day and night, but the program is still a work in progress.