Robberies and Muggings on the Rise on Campus
Campus Safety officers are encouraging students to report suspicious activity in retaliation against a rise of criminal activity in and around campus.
Safety works closely with the Auburn Police Department (APD) and college officials to ensure the safety of all students and staff. However, the campus’s urban location and proximity to surrounding neighborhoods where crime is more intermittent presents challenges to those who frequent the college.
“We’ve been having a small rash of robberies around campus,” said Marvin Viney, assistant director of campus safety. Reports of muggings, according to Viney, occur almost exclusively off-campus, but close enough to the school that college is required to provide students and faculty with timely warnings under the Jeanne Clery Act and Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA). These notifications raise awareness about incidents that have not yet been mitigated and could pose a threat to students.
On March 22, a timely warning was sent out to students and staff at the college after a juvenile reported having his shoes stolen at knife point by an unknown male while walking on the trail west of P-5 near 116th st. and 326th st. around 9:58 a.m.
Due to a recent trend of robberies in and around campus, campus safety urges students to exercise caution when walking in or near campus alone.
Robberies and muggings have been occurring during the day as well as the evening, students are encouraged to take advantage of Green River’s Safety Ride service. This ensures safe transportation for students to and from the Campus Corner Apartments (CCA), nearby apartments, Holman Library, and even local stores.
Campus safety also offers students and staff a Gator Safe Walk or safety escort upon request for those who do not feel safe walking by themselves for any reason.
Other safety concerns have been emerging as more people report vehicle break-ins. “Usually we average about five to seven [car robberies] a year, and usually at the beginning of the quarter,” Viney said. At the beginning of each quarter, predators are more likely to circle the parking lots for cars with noticeable valuables, such as laptops, in the front seat.
Viney said that at the start of the quarter, rather than at the middle or end, car robbers anticipate an influx of new students who may be ignorant when it comes to taking precautionary measures to protect their cars and valuables.
In a worst-case scenario, one student returned to the parking lot around 6:15 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2017 only to find their red Honda Civic stolen.
To prevent car theft, Viney said, the college allows students to rent a device called a club, which fits over the steering wheel and renders the car immovable while the student is away.
The most frequent of crimes reported to campus safety regarding students’ vehicles are hit-and-runs. “We average maybe a couple a month,” Viney said. With many students being novice drivers and in a rush to find parking, hit-and-runs are relatively commonplace at the college.
To look out for drivers’ reckless behavior, as well as to deter potential robbers from vehicle theft, campus safety maintains a 24-hour presence in the school’s parking lots. If anything, Viney said, this helps to maintain a sense of security around campus and gives both students and faculty peace of mind knowing their cars are being monitored.
When it comes to those living at CCA, campus safety officers work closely with RA’s to provide students with a sense of security. However, like any other on-campus housing situation, students are expected to comply with the college’s standards for living at CCA.
This means that campus safety officers make the occasional visit to CCA whenever students are involved in various incidents, from hosting parties with underage drinking to starting accidental fires.
Drug busts are a common occurrence for both students and officers. “Some students think because they’re 21 and [marijuana] is legal in the state, they can use it,” said Viney. But on campus, drugs are prohibited, and campus safety is routinely notified when students break those rules.
When it comes to breaking up particularly raucous parties in CCA, the resulting number of incident reports filed can be extensive. “Every time an RA busts a party, campus safety has to be there,” said Krishna Srini, 19, who lives in CCA. “It feels like they’re there every Friday night.”
In cases where parties or gatherings are investigated, campus safety is required to fill out incident reports for every student present, even if not every student was involved in an illegal activity. “When you see those numbers [of reports], they may be deceptive.”
As assistant director of campus safety, Viney recognizes many of the challenges facing other campus officers. Sometimes students and faculty hold campus safety to an even higher standard than APD. But without the same resources as traditional police officers, Viney said, there is only so much campus safety can do.
That is why students are encouraged to be aware of any suspicious activity in or around campus and to report those findings to campus safety. “We’re trying to establish a culture of reporting,” Viney said. “If you see something, say something.”
