By Kelly Douglas
At the beginning of the fall semester, University of Louisville students were welcomed back to Belknap Campus with a crime spree that included car and apartment break-ins, bike thefts and muggings, among other criminal activity. University officials have acknowledged the issue of student safety and are taking action.
Due to the crime trends in areas surrounding campus, U of L’s Department of Public Safety has extended its services to parts of Old Louisville, patrolling from Cardinal Boulevard to as far north as Hill Street.
Maj. Kenneth Brown, assistant chief of police for U of L’s DPS, said university police officers are looking to make sure students feel just as protected off campus as they do on campus.
“We have a very, very safe campus. A lot of our problems occur on the outer edges and outside of the campus; that’s why we’re pushing our resources with our police department and our security guards, so we can watch those areas as closely as possible,” Brown said.
The sections of Old Louisville are covered randomly, with officers branching out and expanding their patrol to the area during their regular shifts. University police officers are under county-wide jurisdiction, and by state law, have the authority to make an arrest off campus if needed.
Brown said the focus of the expanded coverage will be centered around the popular hang-out spots of Old Louisville that students tend to frequent most often.
“We know that a lot of students go up to the various bars and entertainment areas of Old Louisville, then go back home,” Brown said. “We’re trying to make sure that as they’re coming back and forth, that they’re safe and if they need assistance, they can flag us down.”
Dena Stylianou, assistant manager at Granville Inn, said the recent string of crimes around U of L has hurt business because students have been afraid to walk around the area. She said the expanded coverage is definitely needed.
“I think it will help,” she said. “We need all the help we can get.”
U of L isn’t the only college in Kentucky making modifications to improve campus safety. The University of Kentucky dedicated more than $1.25 million earlier this month toward campus safety after a survey, launched by the university’s president, showed that one in three UK women has been raped or attacked.
The additional money at UK will go toward an extensive education and prevention program as well as a fully operational center for students who have been victimized to receive help. With the money, UK also plans to add one new police officer, improve lighting and landscape on campus, make significant improvements in residence halls and give additional training to campus law enforcement and therapists dealing with victims.
U of L’s budget for DPS increased by about $500,000 in 2004, allowing campus police to add 16 non-sworn officers on staff, as well as three additional police officers and more equipment. Permanent security guards in various parking lots around campus were also added after the increase.
According to the Kentucky State Police crime report, U of L has ranked second in crime for Kentucky state colleges after UK for the past three years. However, the gap from first to second is significant. In 2004, 319 crimes were committed at U of L, but at the University of Kentucky, 691 crimes were committed on campus. Western Kentucky University ranked third with 286 crimes.
To read the U of L Crime Log, visit http://www.louisville.edu/admin/dps/index.htm, click on the “University Police” link and go to “Crime Log.”
2005 U of L crime numbers
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