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UMNEWS > September 30, 2007
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Safety and Security Efforts Enhanced
Safety and security at the University of Maryland has recently come under scrutiny due to several recent high profile incidents. These incidents include a carjacking (arrest made), hate incidents (Nyumburu noose and swastika at Fraternity Row), and, lastly, the Peeping Tom/sexual assault incidents being handled by the Prince George’s County Police.
During this period, the Department of Public
Safety has become more adept at providing information about crimes both on and off campus quickly and efficiently through the use of more timely and comprehensive crime alerts, as well as the text messaging alert system. Together, these tactics have led to a perception within the community that crime is on the rise. This, however, is not true.
In 2007, the campus has seen a significant reduction in crime compared to 2006 in almost all categories. Violent crime is down 53 percent, robberies are down 60 percent, aggravated assaults are down 43 percent, and lastly property crime is down 31 percent.
We believe the reduction in crime this year is due to a variety of strategies being utilized by the University Police to include: enhancing the closed circuit camera system; creation of the Strategic Enforcement Response Team (SERT); targeted patrol techniques; and, lastly, the tireless efforts of our investigators who have closure rates far above national averages. However, even with these reductions the perception of crime and fears of crime are realities the University must address.
We believe several steps need to be taken in order to alleviate the fear of crime and reduce our crime numbers even further. Beginning this weekend, we are embarking on a comprehensive effort to increase our visibility on campus. This initiative will include:
- Increasing the number of police aides who work during the evening hours.
- Extending the hours worked to provide coverage on campus until 3 a.m.
- Providing the aides with marked auxiliary vehicles to provide more coverage and a more efficient escort service.
- When patrolling parking lots and residential areas, these vehicles will be operating with flashing lights to both act as a deterrent and to be easily identifiable for students requesting services.
- Police officers will be concentrating patrol efforts in well-traveled and populated areas.
- We are researching alternative patrol conveyances (golf carts, utility ATV’s, etc…) that can easily access areas of campus that traditional vehicles cannot.
Arrests and closures on significant cases will be mass distributed to the campus community.
We are hopeful these and other efforts will help alleviate the fear of crime and continue to reduce our crime rate. However, we can never rest on our most recent successes. We must look forward and continue to change and revise our policing strategies and techniques. We all share the common goal of creating a campus climate where people feel safe and, with hard work and the help of our community, we believe we can reach that goal.
Kenneth Krouse
Chief
Department of Public Safety