| Show Stopping Thieves Dead in their Tracks Last article in a series looking at crime on campuses and what students can do doto doto to stop it It I r fe By David Finch 1 V I in Editor-in-chief I Almost everyone at some time in their life will be directly involved in a major crime Whether being victimized or being the perpetrator crime affects us all For most people it itis itis itis is an easy choice whether to break the law or not However little IittI can be done to stop other people from violating our rights no one makes the choice to be victimized but it still happens Here are some tips to help stay safe and prevent crime from hap hap- pening According to Mindy Hendrix crime prevention specialist for Salt Lake County Sheriffs Sheriff's Office Property crimes are the biggest problem in the county with vehicle burglaries being number one She says People should always clean out their cars Do not leave stuff visible I Ih h have ve heard of cars being broken into for a quarter in the ashtray r j J t f F Very similar are the words on a a I Prevent Auto Aut Burglary poster published by the Police Department which say Never leave keys in or around vehicle L Do not leave personal property in you vehicle Thieves go for purses wallets backpacks laptops laptops laptops lap lap- tops and anything else that looks valuable Don Dont Don't t leave your property property property prop- prop erty on seats or vehicle floors L Always expect to lose something something something some some- thing if you leave it in your cle L Thieves will break vehicle windows or door locks for something something something some some- thing as simple as a shopping bag Larceny theft is perhaps the most prevalent crime at with one case occurring once every four days on average The and Physical Facilities Department do an outstanding job of securing the buildings on campus and making sure only those individuals with keys or permission have ave access to them during school after-school hours However thefts still occur during regular school hours and students should be aware of how and when thieves make their grab Backpacks are one of the easiest and most successful targets for thieves They are often left lying around tables and chairs and even classrooms are not always safe It is a good idea to make an inventory of what you have in your backpack every day and be prepared to describe the contents to police in the event it gets stolen Never leave your backpack backpack backpack back back- pack or other possessions lying around even if you think you will be close enough to prevent anyone from taking them looking looking looking look look- ing away for only a second or two is enough for criminals to strike In the event of a lost or stolen backpack report it immediately to the campus police Throughout the years there have been many gruesome stories IJ 9 N LOS relating to personal attacks and robberies told around the camp- camp fire In movies such as Stephen Kings King's Pet Cemetery or the 1998 classic Urban Legend the story of a man hiding hiding hiding hid hid- ing under a car or a bed in the case of Kings King's movie and slashing slashing slashing slash slash- ing a womans woman's ankle was perpetuated perpetuated perpetuated beyond simple folklore This story has led to scares at shopping malls and college campuses campuses campuses cam cam- since it it- originated in the In truth there has never been an actual case reported of this ever happening it is just a story Luckily there have been no instances of aggravated assault rape or robbery on campuses campuses campuses cam cam- during the first six months of this year and few happening before then However there is a first for everything and one should always be prepared for the worst Hendrix says Three things to help keep you safe are first you should be aware of your surroundings Second you should stick to lighted and well- well traveled areas And third always use the buddy system The PD also advocates the use of the buddy system by saying in their free booklet Crime Awareness and Campus Safety Report Avoid walking alone at night walk with a friend or use the buddy system F For or those who do find themselves alone at night on campus has provided provided provided pro pro- vided parking lot escorts at both the Redwood and South City campuses They are available at Redwood from pm p.m. to 1030 pm p.m. by calling South City escorts can be reached at and are available until 1045 pm p.m. I tell people to use the buddy system well into their says Hendrix In case a person is confronted by an armed robber who demands their property the advises Give it up Loss of property is not worth endangering endanger endanger- f ing your life Police also say If Ifan Ifan an incident does occur to you be observant in order to give accurate accurate accurate rate suspect and vehicle Report incidents immediately immediately immediately immedi immedi- to campus police Some important numbers to remember in case a person person is a victim or aware of a crime are Non-emergencies Non Emergencies Student Relations and Retention Retention Vice President for Student I Services Equal Opportunity Office w Center T TEven X i Rape Recovery Even though crime is up almost j 36 percent from last year is still considerably safer than other schools around the country In fact the college campuses i J have significantly lower crime i rates than their surrounding com com- 1 The while 1 understaffed has done a wonderful wonder wonder- ful job keeping the crime under 41 control thus far and many students students students stu stu- dents feel safer on campus than at home However crime should not have to be in the back of a t persons person's mind when they come to j school to learn By being aware of what is going on around campus campus campus cam cam- pus and reporting any suspicious activity students can help the police eradicate campus crime and make our schools safer pla places e to le learn |
