Crime and Punishment In The Halls: Part 2

By RaShayla Daniels

See Part 1

The Texas Tech Police Department (TTUPD) not only responds to emergency calls, but also conducts burglary/theft prevention and active shooter training. An emerging program, called Risk Intervention & Safety Education (RISE) focuses on crime prevention and community wellness.

The No. 1 focus is Tech students’ and faculty members’ safety, said Capt. Stephen Hinkle of TTUPD. He added that he would love for officers to be everywhere they are needed at once, but the campus and its population are just too big.

This is one reason there are over 100 blue-light phones on Tech’s campus, which can connect a caller to campus dispatchers at the push of a button. An officer automatically heads to the call location, even if the dispatcher and caller do not verbally communicate.

Alicia Keene/The Hub@TTU

“Most people don’t use the blue phones because they have cell phones, and they just dial 9-1-1,” Hinkle said. “If you’re on campus, 9-1-1 is going to come to our dispatchers, and we’ll get an officer to you that way as well.”

Freshman Kirstin Hood from Pampa, Texas, said she heard about the blue phones during orientation and sees them around campus all the time, but has never had to use one. Hood said she and her roommate typically use the buddy system.

“Every time I leave somewhere, she tells me to text her, like, when I get to a certain place or when I get to Chitwood,” Hood said. “She’ll just text me and be like ‘Hey, make sure and be careful! Have your keys out when you’re walking around’ and just to be smart.”

Campus-Crime-Infographic-667x1024Hood, a resident of Chitwood Hall, an all-female residence hall, said her college experience is turning out better than anticipated—considering she did not know what to expect—and having a roommate with whom she is close makes things better for her. However, she finds hearing about burglaries and sexual assault incidents around Tech a little intimidating, especially knowing a building full of men is right next door.

“Even though we have a certain key to get into our dorm or a student I.D. or something, I just feel like sometimes people can let people in up there or something, ” Hood said. “ And I just feel like it’s not very safe.”

Fellow Chitwood resident Audrey Ohlhaber said she thinks anyone could easily get through room doors because people hold the door open for whomever is behind them without paying much attention to what is really going on. But, in her opinion, the residence halls do not seem as risky as off-campus communities.

“I think it’s fine,” Ohlhaber said. “Because, I know some schools have it where like there’s guys, like, right down the hall, so I think the two separate buildings are good. And, my card doesn’t work with theirs, so you have to be with someone—like a person, like an escort. So I don’t think that’s too bad.”

Within the first month of fall semester, five sexual harassment or assault cases were reported in the residence halls, according to TTU police reports. None occurred in the Chitwood/Weymouth complex, but Knapp Hall, Wall Hall, Clement Hall and Talkington Hall were represented in the police logs. The most notable case occurred at Gordon Hall, where a male was sexually assaulted by another male on Sept. 27.

In many sexual harassment cases reported to TTUPD, the victims complained about unwanted text messages rather than physical contact.

For more tips on safety and information on prevention of assaults, thefts and more, visit the TTUPD or RISE websites.

About JOUR 4350

JOUR 4350 is the multiplatform news delivery class, which is the capstone class for journalism majors within the College of Media & Communication.