Helping to Reduce Crime On the COTC Campus Patricia Filkins Business and Professional Communication ENGL-207-NA

Table of Contents  Purpose/ Problem Description  The Dangers Present on Campus  Campus Crime Rates  Solution I: Lighting on Campus  Solution II: Security Call Boxes on  Campus  Solution III: Student Education  Future Prospects  Resources

Problem Description:  Crime on campus is a major concern for some students. There are instances of rape, robbery and theft that lead the student body to feel unsafe at school. The following report discusses the safety concerns present on campus, in addition to providing some solutions that could help reduce the crime rates. The solutions proposed in this report include providing better lighting on campus, adding ETS security call boxes and increasing the amount of preventative student safety education. I believe that students should be able to feel safe on campus. By encouraging the administration to take preventative measures, crime rates could be lowered before students are victimized and harmed.

The Dangers on Campus  Students being raped  Students being beaten  Students being murdered  This can happen even from a student that is attempting to rob a fellow student

Campus Crime StatisticsIncidentsper 100 Students Aggravated assaultN/A Murder & Non-Negligent Manslaughter N/A RapeN/A RobberyN/A ArsonN/A BurglaryN/A LarcenyN/A Vehicle theft10.02 ArrestN/A

Local Crime StatisticsIncidentsper 100 People Aggravated assault Murder & Non-Negligent Manslaughter N/A Forcible Rape Robbery ArsonN/A Burglary Larceny1, Vehicle theft450.09

Solution I: Lighting on Campus  A low cost solution would be to install sensor LED lights in poorly lit areas on campus. LED lights have little to no maintenance; the sensor would only illuminate the area when there were people present.  It has been known that as darkness increases so does crime.  The parking spots that are all the way out across the back of the parking lot are not well lit at night.

Parking Lots This is another example of how far the parking lots are away.

Solution II: Security Call Boxes on Campus  One way for it to become safer for students is to add emergency telephone system (ETS) call boxes around campus and nearby locations.  These call boxes are solid yellow with a blue light on the top. Across the front they are labeled “EMERGENCY”.  The emergency boxes will give students the opportunity to alert police officials from just about anywhere on campus.  Areas of concern are intersections, walkways, and parking lots.  The call boxes should be placed around all of the buildings and dormitories.

Solution III: Student Education  A good way to help reduce crime on campus would be to better educate the students on ways to avoid crime and what to do if involved in an emergency.  The campus could set up a website to where it offers tips to help prevent crimes; such as rape and sexual assault, assault, domestic violence, exhibitionism and voyeurism, obscene and harassing phone calls, theft, and ride boards.  Always avoid areas and situations that make you feel uncomfortable, and never walk alone, especially in the evenings.  One of the ways to educate students more effectively could include offering self-defense classes as electives, which would give a wider number of student’s encouragement to take one of these significant classes.

Future Prospects  The COTC campus has a few things that they provide to help keep students and faculty safe. They have a Public Safety Department that is staffed by numerous law enforcement officers. These Officers help make sure that buildings and property are secure, and monitor the activity of all individuals. They have Campus Security officers who provide support and can summon law enforcement assistance for individuals who have been victims of crime.  The Public Safety Office works closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies regarding the reporting and investigation of crime. Students, faculty and staff must respond to reasonable requests of security officers in the exercise of their duties to provide a safe and secure campus. COTC sends out campus crime alerts through your school as well and I think that this makes people aware of what is going on.

Future Prospects, cont.  I think the campus should enact these other solutions, or crime may continue to rise and future admissions may be in jeopardy.  By providing better lighting on campus, there will be fewer spots for predators to hide and this gives students a greater feeling of safety and freedom during the nighttime.  Adding emergency boxes on campus will add a secondary deterrent to criminals. Students that are fearful of their safety will have access to help if emergency boxes are installed on campus.  By offering classes dealing with student safety and self-defense, there will be a greater chance for students to stay out of dangerous situations.

Resources  "Office of Public Safety." Office of Public Safety. Central Ohio Technical College, n.d. Web. 20 Nov  Raisman, Neal. "10 Steps to Creating a More Secure Campus." University Business Magazine. N.p., May Web. 21 Nov  Sherman, Lawrence, Gottfredson, Denise, MacKenzie, Doris, Eck, John, Reuter, Peter and Bushway, Shawn. "Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn't, What's Promising." Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice University of Maryland (1996): n. pag. Web.