Safety escort, sense keep students safe

With move-in and Welcome Week comes many lessons in survival, how to navigate campus, how to buy books and how to remain safe at IU. Before the academics start, IU works to ensure the safety of its students.\n"I feel that a student's safety should be of paramount importance to the University," said Bill Gray, student body president of the IU Student Association. "Every student should have the right to feel safe secure and free to walk the campus. The University should strive to make this a reality for all students."\nIUSA's Safety Escort Department provides transportation for all students during the evening hours. The student activity fee finances this service. Although the service is intended for students, safety escort will reach out to anyone in emergency situations, responding to both on- and off-campus locations. \n"Safety escort is designed to help make campus safer," Judd Arnold, IUSA student body vice president said. "It was determined that after dark was the best time for safety escort to operate."\nIU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said in order for students to be safe and concentrate on studies and other activities, they should think and act responsibly and use common sense.\nMinger suggested students not walk alone after dark, but instead call for the escort service. Minger also suggested ways to prevent crimes such as thefts. \n"At the library, laptops and books should not be left unattended," he said. "As for vehicles, keys should never be left in the car or on the floor while working out at. Car thieves can use a remote unlocking device to detect the car that the key matches."\nIn dormitories, students should lock the room to prevent burglary, even if their absence will be a short period, such as while they are showering, Minger said. \n"It's about common sense," said Dean of Students Richard McKaig. "You have to exercise good judgment about where you walk and how you look after your possessions."\nDespite IU's large student body, the statistical numbers suggest that the University offers a safe environment to students, Minger said. \nAccording to IUPD's Clery Report, a crime statistic report, aggravated assault, burglary and vehicle theft saw a noticeable decrease; while criminal arrests, including violations of liquor and drug laws, increased. \nThe Clery Report indicates that the number of reports of aggravated assault, burglary and vehicle theft went down from 11, 119 and 18 in 1996 to 0, 68 and 2 in 2001, respectively. \nReports on other crimes showed a smaller decrease or no change between these years. The numbers fell, but the police said they are determined to improve campus security further.\n"Our message is being conveyed, but there is always work to be done," Minger said, as he pointed out that the Office of Student Ethics made over 1,000 disciplinary referrals about liquor laws for the first time since 1996.\nThe change in the number of arrests was more sizeable. The Clery Report indicates that 126 were arrested for a violation of liquor laws in 1996, whereas in 2001, the police arrested nearly fourfold -- 479.\nArrests for drug law violation saw a similar trend. The number jumped from 78 in 1996 to 196 in 2001. \nRegarding the increasing crime arrests, Minger said that officials put a higher focus on law enforcement in recent years, including longer night patrolling hours. \nON THE WEB:\nFor additional information visit campussafety.org and www.ope.ed.gov/security/search.asp.