University of Memphis Police Services held a forum on Tuesday to inform students and faculty about what they’re doing to keep people safe on campus.
The forum, part of the Fall 2014 Strategic Safety Plan, was a joint effort by the Student Government Association and Police Services to reach out to the campus community following a recent crime surge on and around campus.
U of M Chief of Police Bruce Harber kicked off the event by revealing crime statistics for the U of M area. For five of the last seven years, the U of M was considered the safest campus with more than 5,000 students in Tennessee. Since 2001, 600 digital web cameras have been installed on campus and campus crime has fallen 26.7 percent.
Despite the numbers, assistant Chief of Police Derek Myers understands why people are so concerned with campus safety.
“The amount of recent crime is unusual,” Meyers said. “That probably raised the amount of concerns we’ve gotten.”
According to Myers, of the recent crimes committed on campus, only two are unsolved. The most common crime on campus is theft of technology. He explained how students could be safer on campus/
“Walking with your phone in your hand and your headphones in is not the best way to walk around,” Myers said.
Meyers advises students to be “discreet with their phones” and “pay attention with their eyes and ears.”
Maj. Paul Wright of the Memphis Police Department explained some of the safety measures around campus, such as the Blue Crush Initiative, launched in 2006. Blue Crush is an MPD data system that determines what local crime hotspots are.
“This program is one of the best things we’ve implemented,” Wright said. “It’s important to deploy more officers where the most crime happens.”
In addition to the Blue Crush Initiative, in May 2013, MPD and Police Services launched the Police Joint Agency. PJA is an initiative that allows both departments to respond to any calls in the area inside of Southern Avenue, Echles Road, Douglass Avenue, and Semmes Street.
Because of the PJA, 399 arrests have been made—most stemming from suspended licenses or drug related crimes.
Wright is stationed at Tillman Station, which oversees the University District. The U of M falls in Ward 522, which Wright says has “one of the lowest crime rates in the city.”
Wright advised that students be alert, walk in groups and act confident and walk with a purpose.
“If you look like a victim you may become one,” said Wright. “Make eye contact, bad guys don’t like when you look them in the eye.”
Harber closed out the presentation by going over the Fall 2014 Strategic Safety Plan in detail. The plan included social media awareness, advertising the Tiger Safety Escort Program, weekly and holiday safety tips, increased number of U of M officers on patrol, increased MPD patrol around campus and self defense programs.
Coordinator of Student Events and Programs Laura Engelman felt the forum was informative.
“It’s nice to know what’s in place to protect us,” Engelman said.
Sophomore business management major Shelby Elkins disagrees.
“I’ve had interactions with police services and I feel like they’ve fallen short,” Elkins said. “I expected new plans but it was things that we’ve already known, I feel like they were just defending their case.”
Students who are in trouble on campus should call (901) 678-HELP (4357). Suspicious activity around campus should be reported to the non-emergency number for the MPD at (901) 545-2677. While state law prohibits Tasers, knives, and other weapons on campus, students are allowed to have pepper spray.
