Stealing from cars is the most common type of theft on campus, according to Chief Mark Graf, head of campus security.
Since the beginning of the semester, nine vehicles have been broken into on school parking lots. Part of the reason why this occurs is because people do not secure or hide their belongings. Mark Graf says that students and faculty members should secure lose possessions in their trunks and lock their car doors. Besides patrolling the campus, college security also works with the blue lights system.
The purpose of the blue lights spread throughout the campus is for anybody in need of assistance. If someone has a situation or needs an escort, that person can press the button and a security member will be on call to help. Nine blue lights were put out on campus six years ago. Graf says that the blue lights have been a great addition to campus security.
The security team is not planning to add any other features or items at this time. Graf said he is confident that the guards in uniform and the cameras throughout the school are enough to do the job for now. ” We have over 12 cameras on campus, and a guard is required to regularly check the blue lights,” Graf said.
During the day, security is pretty tight, yet after midnight they call it quits. Even though security is gone after midnight, the cameras are still on. Graf said, when the campus lights are shut off, the cameras are then powered with ambient lights. In addition, Graf and a sergeant are on call as a back up, Graf said.
” The campus is not closed, it’s on stand by.”
Three members of security are in uniform and patrol the campus. An additional employee works behind the desk and there are two cadets.
” I could use additional officers, but we are doing fine with who we have,” Graf says.
Any graffiti seen on campus is reported and documented first to the security office, then to the city police department. A cadet examines the gravity in order to make an assumption to find out who was the cause. Not all graffiti is gang related, but gang members are usually the first suspects, according to Graf.
” We are here for the students and faculty, and want to be of assistance about any situation,” he said.