Joint police effort targets street crime

7:50 p.m., Oct. 22, 2003--UD and Newark police have strengthened their joint task force, putting additional officers on patrol, in response to several recent street crimes in Newark. The task force was first created last spring.

“The incidents of the last two weeks have caused concern and indicate a need to step up our crime prevention and investigative efforts by strategically scheduling uniformed, plain-clothes and decoy officers at nighttime when these robberies have occurred,” Newark Chief of Police Gerald T. Conway said.

“By putting more police on the streets at night, we hope to discourage many of the crimes of opportunity and, when a crime does occur, we can respond more quickly, apprehend more suspects and get better descriptions of those who are breaking the law,” he said.

Additional Newark police officers and four extra UD police officers are now patrolling city streets and areas adjacent to the campus from 7 p.m.-3 a.m., boosting police presence at night by more than 20 percent.

“We are putting extra officers in the community on foot and in marked and unmarked cars, especially on weekend nights,” Conway said. “We have targeted a variety of locations where we think police presence will do the most good.”

As part of the task force effort, members of the Newark Police Department also are continuing their meetings with representatives at area apartment complexes to make sure that managers there are aware of lighting and safety issues.

Since early October, five armed robberies have been reported in Newark, four of them involving students as victims. No arrests have been made so far.

These street robberies do not follow a clear-cut pattern, since they occur in numerous areas in the community, Lawrence O. Thornton, UD director of public safety, said. “The street robbery suspects have varying descriptions, with little in common,” he said, “except that they are young males who tend to blend in well with students on the UD campus.”

Police point to the economy as a possible cause of the robberies. “We have information from other police departments in New Castle County that they, too, are experiencing the same increase in robberies. National robbery statistics also are up,” Newark Police Capt. William Nefosky said. “Crime usually increases when jobs are hard to find.”

“The University of Delaware and the city of Newark enjoy a close association with one another, which is reinforced by our commitment to work together to solve problems, as this strengthened task force demonstrates,” UD President David P. Roselle said.

“The negative side of that close relationship is that when the city falls victim to the level of crime experienced by most of the nation, it can be represented in headlines and news reports as occurring on our campus when that is, in the main, not the case,” he said.

“The fact that our campus policy is to fully publicize campus-related crime also may contribute to such misperceptions, but our main concern is to keep the University community fully aware of public health and safety issues so they can take necessary precautions,” Roselle said.

In keeping with this philosophy as well as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, information about campus security programs, recommended personal safety practices, the authority of the University Police, campus disciplinary procedures and campus crime statistics for the most recent three-year period is available online at [http://www.udel.edu/PublicSafety] or may be requested from the University of Delaware Department of Public Safety, Crime Prevention Unit, Newark, DE 19716-4210.

UD received the 2001 Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Award, a national award that honors schools and individuals that have done extraordinary things to make students safe. Established in memory of a Lehigh University freshman who was murdered in her dormitory in 1986, the award is given by Security on Campus Inc., which was organized by Howard and Connie Clery, Jeanne’s parents, to further the cause of campus safety.

The collaborative efforts with the Newark Police Department build on a range of safety efforts already in place on the campus, Thornton said.

In addition to regular campus patrols by UD Police in marked and unmarked vehicles, on bicycles and on foot, preventative patrols are conducted by security officers and student police aides. This fall, community policing efforts were stepped up, making officers more visible on campus and helping ensure students are aware of their presence.

With the start of the school year, a change in UD policy also gave trained University Police officers access to firearms in their patrol cars under carefully defined circumstances.

A Residential Patrol Program, begun last year, is still active, employing two teams of two student police aides each who patrol the exterior of the residence hall areas during late night hours. These student police aides are equipped with two-way radios and wear distinctive uniforms and reflective vests that make them easily identifiable.

“These student police aides are highly visible and look for such things as doors being propped open, lights out and suspicious activity, as well as serving as an information resource for students,” Thornton said.

Also last fall, Public Safety’s walking escort program was expanded beyond the campus to include selected off-campus locations. Available during the hours of darkness every night of the week, this free service is available to students, faculty and staff.

This escort program complements the availability of more than 200 emergency blue-light telephones (for use in case of emergency or to simply call for assistance) that are in service across the campus. Additionally, an extensive shuttle bus transit system operates day and night to transport students around the campus.

Over the past few years, several thousand outdoor lights have been added to the campus, and Public Safety sponsors campus walks with students to determine where new or additional lights may be needed.

For women, Public Safety also offers the RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) program, a 15-hour course taught by trained members of the Department of Public Safety.

Thornton urged members of the UD community to take commonsense precautions to safeguard themselves against crime.

“Personal safety is a shared responsibility between the individual and the police,” Thornton said. “Individuals need to be aware of their surroundings and use good judgment. Just as importantly, when they notice suspicious activity, such as individuals who are where they should not be, or when they have a feeling that something just isn’t right, they should contact us or the Newark Police.”

Following are safety tips from UD Police:

Show a confident attitude and be alert and aware of surroundings. Many street robberies involve students who have been drinking, Thornton said.
If confronted by someone with a weapon, do not be reluctant to give up your property, Thornton said. “Possessions can be replaced.”
Report all suspicious activity to UD Police (831-2222) on campus or the Newark Police (366-7111) off campus. Timely reports of information make it easier for police to gather critical evidence and increase the odds of recovering stolen property and successfully prosecuting a criminal.
Avoid walking alone at night. Walk with a group, ride a University shuttle bus or call Public Safety for an escort. Use UD’s well-lighted paths and sidewalks and take the most direct route.
Keep doors locked in your room and car. Do not prop open residence hall doors. This is an invitation for trespassers.
Do not lend keys, ID cards or PDI cards to anyone—even friends.
Immediately report all maintenance problems, such as broken locks and windows.
Attend security awareness programs held on campus to gain valuable information.
Identify all valuables. Register computers, bicycles and stereos with Public Safety.
Use crosswalks and pedestrian crossing signals to cross streets.
Be aware of campus and local crime trends. These are available at Public Safety’s web site [www.udel.edu/PublicSafety].
If you are a crime victim, report the crime to the police as soon as possible. Detailed descriptions of the suspects are invaluable to investigators, as are details such as license plate numbers or types of vehicles.

For more information, e-mail Public Safety at [PublicSafety@udel.edu].

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