Campus Watch Program returns this semester to heighten awareness of crimes and mischievous activities on campus.
The program involves weekly meetings at select points on campus to call to attention various crimes or problems seen by both faculty and students.
“The big purpose is to let the students tell us about ongoing problems that maybe we’re not aware of,” Jan Caldwell, EC police officer who is in charge of the program, said, “We can’t get into every little corner, crack, and crevice like the students do.”
In just its second official year, the program is modeled after Neighborhood Watch programs that are created to get communities involved with reporting crimes, like theft and sexual harassment.
The campus watch are informal meetings and anyone on campus is free to join in during any of the meetings, Caldwell said.
“We need the feedback on how students perceive this campus, too,” Harold Tyler, director of student development, said.
Although the official meeting times and locations are not set for the fall semester, the times will be modeled after last semester where a meeting would take place at certain locations on campus each Tuesday of the month.
The areas previously covered were the Math and Science Division area, the Humanities and Library area and the student services and physical education area.
Caldwell said that there will be an expansion to include watch areas at both the northwest and southwest areas of campus near the parking lot, areas that are commonly the site of crimes.
Last semester, student turnout was low, although Tyler said he hopes the program will grow by both word of mouth and the fliers both posted on campus and sent out via e-mail once they are completed.
“It’s a very open and interactive program,” Caldwell said, “they are open to everybody,” adding that it’s not a membership based plan and people are free to only go to the meetings when they wish.
Currently the number one reported crime is book theft, Caldwell said, emphasizing a large number of incidents occurring in the parking lots.
“I have a friend who was walking to her car after a night class and she heard the footsteps of a person following her, so she turned around and the assailant just punched her in the face and left,” Tim Linehan, vice president of ASO, said.
Despite this, Tyler said that students “feel like this is one of the safest places to be” but that even though many think the campus is great, students still “need to be diligent and watch our for one another.”
“I’m not thinking, oh, do I see anything suspicious,” Linehan said, “but I am aware of my surroundings.”
With the Campus Watch Program set to start very soon, Tyler stressed that the program isn’t about getting the community to intervene with any crimes happening on campus.
“Anything that’s life threatening or law breaking, you go to the police,” Tyler said, “we do not want anybody trying to be a policeman, we just want students to heighten their awareness and be on the lookout.”
For those that would not be able to attend the weekly meetings, Caldwell said that students should still report anything suspicious either by using the blue police poles scattered throughout campus or contacting the police station directly.
“Small problems, big problem, we don’t care,” Caldwell said, “we want no problems, if we can manage that.”