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February 13, 2007

Safety

Police survey shows safety concerns

Response shows concern for safety and gives the department feedback.

Story by: Julie Ann Sanchez

Contributor to The Shorthorn

Surveys conducted by the UTA Police Department in the fall didn’t garner much response — only 91 people responded — but the feedback demonstrated worries over safety on campus, assistant police chief Ricardo Gomez said.

He said the survey aimed to measure the perceptions of campus police.

Students, staff, faculty and administration participated in the survey. Gomez said that in the future, the department would like to see more input from minorities and students.

Nearly 30 percent responded that crime was a big problem, with 60 percent saying they felt only somewhat safe on campus.

With last semester’s reported abduction of a female student and a reported armed robbery by three men at University Village apartments still on some people’s minds, campus police are patrolling in full force.

“I think when a significant crime occurs on campus, it gets a lot of media attention,” Gomez said. “It exacerbates the problem.”

Seventy-five percent of the survey responses said the courtesy and helpfulness of campus police was good, with 68 percent saying overall police service was above average.

Police offer escort services for students to their vehicles or classes.

The department is also in the process of hiring more officers, and once warm weather starts, officers will patrol campus on bicycles, Gomez said.

He said 12 percent of students responded and that the survey, which had a link on the university Web site, was open for a month.

Public Affairs specialist Michael Vega said the survey was posted in mid-December when many students, staff and faculty leave for the holidays.

Gomez said the department will not rely solely on the Internet for the next survey and will try other advertising methods, such as visiting classrooms and Faculty Senate meetings.

Deja Hill, social work graduate student, said that though she only has a few night classes, she does feel safe on campus.

“Yeah, I don’t carry any mace,” Hill said.

Hill said that when she leaves her night classes, she does see police in golf carts patrolling campus.