A collection she had been building for half her life was gone in an instant with the shattering of a window.
Four hundred CDs, a checkbook and her identity were stolen from Amy Wright's car in January while it was parked close to her house near Swan Ridge Circle.
Now, every time one of the stolen checks circulates, Wright, senior accounting major, has to fill out an affidavit and go through an annoying process to avoid being penalized for being a victim.
"I lost $1,200, but that was the least of my worries," Wright said.
Today police services held a campus safety forum in an effort to keep incidents like Wright's from happening to other students.Bruce Harber, police services director, and Derek Myers, assistant director, led the discussion on what improvements have been made and what still needs to be done.
"Part of crime prevention is letting everyone know what happens," Harber said.
They discussed the success and expectations of programs The University has recently implemented and plans to complete.
The most elaborate of those plans are the changes on Central Avenue, which students should expect to see in the near future.
In collaboration with the city, The University is planning to lower Central by eight ft. and build two pedestrian walkways above the street.
Harber said this will make The University less accessible from Central but by lowering the street, the walls will be kept from making The University look like a fortress.
Another expensive project police services is working on is a change from the key door locks to key fobs -- inch-long electronic keys that can be monitored from the police station.
They are switching to electronic keys because of the past trouble they have had with people losing master keys. When those master keys are lost, entire buildings are left as easy targets to criminal activity.
Harber also focused on what students can do to increase the safety of their persons and property.
"The main thing someone can do to help us is keep their things with them," Harber said.
That is a lesson Wright learned in January and said she has made sure to keep her belongings with her instead of in her car.
She also knows how to keep herself safe when walking around campus at night, which was another point police services stressed.
"My main safety concern on campus is at night," Wright said. "If your cell phone is dead you are alone on campus."
At the forum, Harber said the best thing someone can do when they are on campus alone at night is to call Tiger Patrol.
He said the escort service has been used 1,540 times this spring and, according to Harber, the high volume of calls they have received has been a factor in lowering the numbers.
He said if you do not call Tiger Patrol it is best to walk around with at least three people.
Harber said he felt the forum was a success.
Wright agreed and said she felt good seeing the amount of faculty there and hearing what police services has planned in the future.
"I was happy to hear about the projects they are working on and that the numbers (of crimes) are going down," Wright said.
