Campus safety a legitimate concern
Joelle Halon
Issue date: 11/2/09 Section: News
Rashes of crimes have occurred over the past two semesters on and near campus at PUC.
These crimes include a shooting that occurred on Sept. 24, where the victim was unharmed but sustained damage to her vehicle; an assault on a male and female student in the first floor of Anderson on April 16; an attempted carjacking Feb. 25 outside of Gyte; and a gun-related incident outside of the Fitness and Recreation Center on Feb. 24.
In addition to the aforementioned crimes, according to the Indiana Sex Offender Registry, there are 150 sex and violent offenders living within a 5 mile radius of the PUC campus. In Indiana, registered sex offenders are those accused of rape, molestation, and sexual assault.
After the April 16 assault, the PUC homepage stated that security would have "a more visible presence inside campus buildings between dusk and building closure time." However, according to some PUC students, this may not be the case.
Many students on campus attend evening classes due to work or family obligations during the day. Between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, the PUC parking lots tend to empty out considerably, with only a handful of cars scattered throughout the lot. Safety remains a concern on many students' minds.
Miranda Morley, an English graduate and English 104 instructor at PUC states that in the evening, she doesn't feel safe.
"Every time I'm there after 10 p.m., I do feel particularly unsafe. A couple of times I have asked for someone to walk me to my car. Whenever I'm [at PUC] at an off hour-well after ten, on Friday night, or on a weekend-those crimes on campus keep going through my head," Morley said.
PUC Writing Center tutor Jela Latinovich expressed similar concerns.
"I don't feel particularly safe on campus in the evening. Most of the parking lot is not well-lit, and security is usually not roaming around campus as they should be."
Latinovich also said she didn't feel security was doing a bad job, but said there should be more security walking around campus.
These crimes include a shooting that occurred on Sept. 24, where the victim was unharmed but sustained damage to her vehicle; an assault on a male and female student in the first floor of Anderson on April 16; an attempted carjacking Feb. 25 outside of Gyte; and a gun-related incident outside of the Fitness and Recreation Center on Feb. 24.
In addition to the aforementioned crimes, according to the Indiana Sex Offender Registry, there are 150 sex and violent offenders living within a 5 mile radius of the PUC campus. In Indiana, registered sex offenders are those accused of rape, molestation, and sexual assault.
After the April 16 assault, the PUC homepage stated that security would have "a more visible presence inside campus buildings between dusk and building closure time." However, according to some PUC students, this may not be the case.
Many students on campus attend evening classes due to work or family obligations during the day. Between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, the PUC parking lots tend to empty out considerably, with only a handful of cars scattered throughout the lot. Safety remains a concern on many students' minds.
Miranda Morley, an English graduate and English 104 instructor at PUC states that in the evening, she doesn't feel safe.
"Every time I'm there after 10 p.m., I do feel particularly unsafe. A couple of times I have asked for someone to walk me to my car. Whenever I'm [at PUC] at an off hour-well after ten, on Friday night, or on a weekend-those crimes on campus keep going through my head," Morley said.
PUC Writing Center tutor Jela Latinovich expressed similar concerns.
"I don't feel particularly safe on campus in the evening. Most of the parking lot is not well-lit, and security is usually not roaming around campus as they should be."
Latinovich also said she didn't feel security was doing a bad job, but said there should be more security walking around campus.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 13
Dolley Madison
posted 11/02/09 @ 8:06 AM CST
I want to know statistically, how many of the recent assaults and crimes were committed in the campus area, by the registered sex offenders that were exploited in this atricle?
Sam Caldwell
posted 11/02/09 @ 8:58 AM CST
(1) This article points to unrelated events and suggests a correlation between them without actually substantiating such claims. To engage in such muckracking demonstrates a clear lack of journalistic integrity on the part of the author. (Continued…)
Jackie Sparling
posted 11/02/09 @ 9:29 AM CST
The U.S. Department of Justice states that approximately 95% of newly reported sex crimes are committed by someone NOT on the Sex Offender Registry. With that being the case, Mr. (Continued…)
Report some facts please
posted 11/02/09 @ 9:50 AM CST
Oh please, it looks as if you were only going after registered sex offenders in this article. Do you know the facts concerning them? I have friends that are sex offenders that are no more dangerous than me or you! THREE consensually chatted online with a teen or cop and were convicted of "solicitation of a minor" which is a HUGE joke in this country and stirred only by the media attention a television show got, one touched the outside of the blouse of a girlfriend and then found out she was younger than she said she was, several consensually had sex with their girlfriends, two tinkled outside - one outside his own HOME. (Continued…)
jmorgan
posted 11/02/09 @ 10:41 AM CST
Joelle, Is your article a joke? What appears to be a rash of college campus crimes in the past year is apparently now being blamed on sex offenders? Is that correct? Because that is what you are impling. (Continued…)
AGENT STARLING
posted 11/02/09 @ 2:13 PM CST
The Revolution Will not Be Televised!
...Or Will it?
http://www.weliveinpublicthemovie.com/
K'Eisha "KiKi" M.
posted 11/02/09 @ 4:09 PM CST
Yo hata's I read this article B4 it published n I also know the writer. She dots all her i's and crosses all t's B4 doin NEthang. I was interviewed 4 this article n I told her 2 delete my comment cuz I felt it was not important but let me tell ya this art. (Continued…)
Sarah
posted 11/02/09 @ 4:22 PM CST
What's with the rude personal attacks? Geeze people, it was just an article in a school newspaper, she was only try to inform students. The writing is also better than most of the current staff. (Continued…)
C.W.
posted 11/02/09 @ 5:24 PM CST
As Kiki did, I have also read the original article and much of it was cut from this published version. There were plenty of facts and legitimate points made, as well as solid reasoning for the connections made. (Continued…)
T T
posted 11/02/09 @ 6:43 PM CST
Well, school newspaper or not, make a decision as to how an article will be read and reflected rather than make it sound like an attack on the neighborhood sex offenders! The public needs schooled as you campus kids would say. (Continued…)
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