From petty thefts to violent assault, college students can be targets for all sorts of crimes while living on campus. With school back in session, local police and campus officials are urging students to keep certain safety measures in mind.
Though campus crimes can range from smaller incidents such as public urination to more serious crimes such as murder or rape, most students are familiar with college’s most common crime: theft.
Last year, there were 328 larceny thefts reported at MU, according to the Missouri Uniform Crime Reporting Program. That’s from a total of 358 reported to the total crimes index, which includes violence and other property crimes.
“By far the largest crime that you’ll see, not just on this campus but any campus, is larceny theft,” MU Police Department Capt. Brian Weimer said.
Although it might seem obvious, locking doors and making sure items aren’t left unattended can go a long way when trying to prevent theft, Weimer said.
In addition to MUPD, many different organizations and departments work together on campus to keep MU as crime-free as possible.
Safety is Residential Life’s biggest concern, Residential Life director Frankie Minor said.
“Safety is our first priority for students,” Minor said. “If I can’t help them meet friends and be a successful student, then I can at least provide a safe and secure environment.”
Residential Life works with many other off- and on-campus entities that also focus on safety. The Residential Life department is working closely with MUPD, the department of environmental health and safety and the Columbia Fire Department to help keep MU free from danger, Minor said.
As of right now, many residential halls have security cameras installed inside.
Security camera installation began a few years ago and has only increased in residence halls, Minor said.
Last year, Laws, Lathrop and Jones halls all received the security camera upgrade. With the exception of Johnston and Wolpers halls, all residence halls currently in use have security cameras in place. Every residence hall is expected to be equipped with cameras by Fall 2015 semester.
Sophomore Luke Cobblah said he thinks the security cameras have been a good addition to keeping the campus safe and that MU as a whole is a relatively safe campus.
“(I feel safe) pretty much all the time,” Cobblah said.
The one time his safety was threatened, Cobblah was able to walk away, and no incident occurred.
If a student’s safety is ever threatened, MU has implemented several programs to help keep students safe. Most notable are the emergency phones placed around campus for students to get in contact with MUPD in case of an emergency.
MU also has an emergency mass notification system in place known as [MU Alert](www.mualert.missouri.edu), which sends a text message to all registered phone numbers when a threatening situation occurs on campus.
