Metro Atlanta has the distinction of being home to more than 50 colleges and universities with more than 250,000 students enrolled annually.
These campuses represent a diverse blend of missions, programs and students, yet we share a common priority — the safety and well-being of every student.
Those of us who lead college public-safety programs take our mission seriously. When a member of our campus community is affected by crime, it is also personal to us and affects us. With the dedicated efforts of Georgia Tech’s 76 sworn police officers, we take pride in helping to ensure that we have a safe campus.
Because universities traditionally communicate criminal activity in areas surrounding the campus, which may or may not involve students, the perception is that they are being targeted more than the general population. This is simply not the case.
Criminal activity is dispersed throughout the city. In fact, statistics show a steady decline in campus crime reported at Georgia Tech over the past three years. Comparable statistics reported in the 2010 Clery Act Campus Safety and Security Data report show that our campus has lower numbers than many of our sister institutions in crime categories such as burglary, robbery and aggravated assault.
By far the most frequent criminal behavior that we encounter is larceny, encompassing everything from bicycle to laptop thefts. A significant percentage of these may be attributed to repeat offenders who find a campus environment particularly attractive.
The cycle is familiar: crime, arrest, prosecution and a brief stint in jail. Upon release, however, these individuals quickly return to the familiar surroundings of campus, lured by the opportunity for a quick score, and the cycle starts again. One individual has an arrest record that dates back nearly 20 years.
When the penalty for getting caught is insufficient to deter the crime, we are all frustrated. That is why the Georgia Tech Police Department is actively working with Fulton County’s Office of the Solicitor General, which prosecutes criminal activity on campus, to bring additional pressure through the legal system so that the penalties imposed on repeat offenders discourage a return.
Despite unusually lean budgetary times, Georgia Tech continues to place a priority on public safety. During the past several years, we have increased the number of patrol officers serving campus, and we also are looking at ways we can use technology to enhance our ability to provide a safe and secure campus environment.
My law enforcement colleagues and I take this seriously, and we are resolved to making our campuses and the adjacent communities as safe as possible.
While Atlanta police have primary jurisdiction in all areas outside of campus, Tech police officers work with local, state and federal law enforcement units to respond to and assist with student-related incidents or offenses that occur in close proximity.
With generous support from Midtown Alliance, we are finalizing a new joint patrol with the Atlanta Police Department that will consist of a patrol officer from each department acting as a unit and operating in the communities that border our campus.
This collaboration will produce greater police visibility, resulting in increased enforcement and public awareness.
It may be a shopworn statement, but crime prevention truly is everyone’s responsibility.
The cooperation and involvement of faculty, staff and students — combined with partnerships among public safety organizations, businesses and the surrounding community — remain essential ingredients to the maintenance of a safe campus.
Working together, we can make a difference.
Teresa Crocker has been chief of police at Georgia Tech for eight years.
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