Campus Security
Dan Fox
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: News
With the break-in at Towers South still fresh in people's minds, do student feel safe at Southeast Missouri State University?
After the break-ins over winter break, students now have to worry about something besides waking up on time for classes. Unfortunately, that something is their safety. While most aren't too worried about a break-in while classes are going on, some students are now worried about their belongings every time they go home. Now students are much more likely to bring most or all their valuables home with them every major break. "I always bring most of my stuff home on break," said Jake Hardesty, a Southeast junior who lives in Towers South, "but it's hard to bring something like a TV home."
Some students, however, think that the amount of security at Southeast is unacceptable. "It sucks," said Shana Payton, Junior. "I transferred from Lindenwood, and there we had a guard outside the door all the time." Having at least one person making daily rounds through Towers Complex would have found the signs of the break-in sooner, and maybe have been able to catch the perpetrator in the act. "They need to back off parking lot security, and focus their people on the dorms," said Payton.
Several students came up with some ideas for keeping valuables safe. Make sure your door is locked was a popular tip, though in a situation where someone uses force to break down doors, simply locking the door doesn't help much. Keeping valuables like jewelry in sock drawers and other out of sight places would make it easy for a burglar to miss.
Other ideas got more creative. A footlocker can stash easily in a closet, or even make a nice stand for TV's or microwaves, and it can be a good place to store computer supplies, DVD players or game systems when gone on break. Some things are too large to fit into a foot locker, and too unwieldy to take home every break. Some students suggested that taking down the serial numbers from TV's and other electronics can be helpful in the even they get stolen. Another slightly extreme solution is to use a bicycle lock to attach a TV to a bed frame or desk.
The Department of Public Safety has assured students that it is doing everything in its power to keep students safe. The extensive camera systems helped in catching the man who broke into the Towers Complex, and DPS officers patrol the campus regularly. In addition to the car patrols and the camera systems, DPS has also stepped up their foot patrols in an effort to keep the campus crime-free. "We've been very successful," Doug Richards, Southeast Director of DPS, said. "Crime rates have been very low."
Crime rates have been low, especially compared to the last couple years. In 2006 there were 26 counts of on campus burglary, and in 2007 there were 28. In 2008 the number of burglaries on campus dropped down to 9. Aggravated assaults have gone from 3 in 2006, to 2 in 2007 and 1 in 2008.
After the break-ins over winter break, students now have to worry about something besides waking up on time for classes. Unfortunately, that something is their safety. While most aren't too worried about a break-in while classes are going on, some students are now worried about their belongings every time they go home. Now students are much more likely to bring most or all their valuables home with them every major break. "I always bring most of my stuff home on break," said Jake Hardesty, a Southeast junior who lives in Towers South, "but it's hard to bring something like a TV home."
Some students, however, think that the amount of security at Southeast is unacceptable. "It sucks," said Shana Payton, Junior. "I transferred from Lindenwood, and there we had a guard outside the door all the time." Having at least one person making daily rounds through Towers Complex would have found the signs of the break-in sooner, and maybe have been able to catch the perpetrator in the act. "They need to back off parking lot security, and focus their people on the dorms," said Payton.
Several students came up with some ideas for keeping valuables safe. Make sure your door is locked was a popular tip, though in a situation where someone uses force to break down doors, simply locking the door doesn't help much. Keeping valuables like jewelry in sock drawers and other out of sight places would make it easy for a burglar to miss.
Other ideas got more creative. A footlocker can stash easily in a closet, or even make a nice stand for TV's or microwaves, and it can be a good place to store computer supplies, DVD players or game systems when gone on break. Some things are too large to fit into a foot locker, and too unwieldy to take home every break. Some students suggested that taking down the serial numbers from TV's and other electronics can be helpful in the even they get stolen. Another slightly extreme solution is to use a bicycle lock to attach a TV to a bed frame or desk.
The Department of Public Safety has assured students that it is doing everything in its power to keep students safe. The extensive camera systems helped in catching the man who broke into the Towers Complex, and DPS officers patrol the campus regularly. In addition to the car patrols and the camera systems, DPS has also stepped up their foot patrols in an effort to keep the campus crime-free. "We've been very successful," Doug Richards, Southeast Director of DPS, said. "Crime rates have been very low."
Crime rates have been low, especially compared to the last couple years. In 2006 there were 26 counts of on campus burglary, and in 2007 there were 28. In 2008 the number of burglaries on campus dropped down to 9. Aggravated assaults have gone from 3 in 2006, to 2 in 2007 and 1 in 2008.
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