Campus
safety remains top priority
By
Cassady Jeremias
Daily Forty-Niner
With
over 30,000 students enrolled at Cal State
Long Beach, the campus sometimes operates
like a city within a city, said Captain
Stan Skipworth of the University Police.
The
University Police statistics from 2002 indicate
that there were just a handful of aggravated
assaults on campus and in the residential
life buildings, and about the same number
of weapons possessions. However, there were
over 50 reports of burglary. Skipworth said
theft is by far the most common crime on
campus.
"Many
are clearly crimes of opportunity, some
may be done by students that come to school
here, but it is also an open campus, and
they have a lot to exploit," Skipworth
said.
The
most common areas where theft might occur,
he said is in the library. Students leave
their belongings lying around while they
go looking for books he said. To prevent
theft, students need to keep valuables with
them at all times.
"Invest
a bit of time when you have the time to
become familiar with the campus," Skipworth
said. Try to find well-lit routes, and avoid
loitering in secluded areas to avoid being
approached, he said.
Several
noticeable safety features exist around
campus for students to take use that can
prevent theft and other more dangerous crimes.
CSULB University Police has a night escort
program, where community service officers
offer students personal escorting to cars
between the hours of 5 to 11:00 p.m., Monday
through Thursday, for free.
Sgt.
Bonnie Meyers of the University Police said
a lot of evening students make use of this
service.
"The
majority of people who call are women, but
it doesn't mean guys can't get escorts,"
she said.
Some
escorts are assigned to specific areas,
Meyers said some can usually be found by
the library or spread around campus, but
the best way to get a hold of someone is
to call. Students can dial 5-4101 on one
of the code blue telephones spread around
campus, or on any campus pay phone. If dialing
from a cell phones the number is (562) 985-4101.
The phones are checked daily to make sure
they are in working order.
Community
service officers, or CSOs as they are called,
are students who have applied through the
University Police. They wear name badges
and carry hand held radios. The CSO's help
patrol the area, unlock buildings and provide
escort service.
In
the event of an emergency, there are over
50 emergency call boxes scattered around
campus and throughout the parking lots that
connect directly to University Police.
In
the event of any suspicious activity Skipworth
advised going to any payphone on campus
or the code blue telephones and dialing
the University Police. He said an officer
would arrive in about 90 seconds, to anywhere
on campus.
"We
get about one call per day to contact police.
A majority may have lost their car, are
reporting an event, or have locked their
keys in the car. They are used pretty regularly
on campus," Skipworth said.
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