University Daily Kansan, August 19, 1982 Page 5 Unlocked cars are prime targets KU students attract criminals By ANDREW deVALPINE Staff Reporter Staff Reporter As KU students return for the fall semester, thieves and burglaries gravitate to the Hill, hoping to come away with the money or whatever else they might chance up. "The affluent association on the Hill attackes thieves," said Jim Denney, direc- tor of the police department. "I would guess," he said, "that 50 percent of the crime on campus is committed by transients who realize that there are a lot of fancy stereos up here and within a high concentration and density," he said. The campus crime rate begins to increase in August with the arrival of students, Denney said. It peaks in late September and early October and gradually decreases through December, he said. The male student is the most frequent victim of crime, Denney said, simply because more mates have cars and stereos than do females. OF THE $32,000 WORTH of material stolen from private hands during the first half of this year, $14,000 of it was stereo equipment, Denney said. Lt. Jeannie Longaker, with community relations for the KU Police Department, said that victims generally were students between 17 and 19 years of age. "They are used to having someone else responsible for their things," she said. Two elements contribute to the increase of crime that students experience, she said. One element is that so many students leave their cars unlocked that they become easy targets, she said. Another element is that as students move in, they leave doors to apartments or residence hall rooms open, exposing their belongings to potential threats. DENNEY SAID THAT MOST of the on-campus crime was burglaries, followed by larcenies, vandalism and assaults. However, in all of these main areas of crime, there has been a decrease of 30 percent during the first five months of this year, Denney said. \ "The decline isn't just on campus," he said. "It's nationwide." Longaker attributed the decline in crime to people's heightened awareness. "People are becoming more responsible and protective of their own items," she said. "They are more willing to be involved and take safety measures." Among the measures taken, she said, are the identification of property by serial numbers and increased security in homes and cars. "PEOPLE ARE MORE WILLING and into the habit of locking their doors," Longaker said. "It's inconvenient, but they are willing to spend the extra few seconds needed to lock doors and roll up windows." Capt. John Courtney of the KU Police Department said such precautions closed the window of opportunity on which many thieves relied. "People are more aware that theft is a matter of opportunity, so a little pre-emptive action can help." "A thief won't spend a lot of time to force a car door when he knips it." While thefts and burglaries are more likely to occur on campus, violent crimes are not as common, Courtney said. "Campus is too condensed of an area, with too many people, to provide opportunity for violent, confrontational crime," he said. DENNEY SAID THAT at most, five or six armed robberies were reported each year. Rape is also infrequent, Denney said. Most rapes reported on campus occur in the residence halls, and usually the victim is known by the victim, Denney said. Because burglary is the most frequently committed crime on campus, the development of the securities division in the Police Department has contributed most to the decrease of on-campus crime, Denney said. Over the past three years, security officers have been integrated into the police force to become active with the Police Department, Denney said. FORMERLY, SECURITY officers were clock punishers and route walkers, As route walkers, security officers did not always make sure doors and windows were closed and locked before they left the building and be back to check them, Denney said. IN 1980, THE DIVISION'S first. full year of operation, officers found 28,123 unlocked doors and windows among the 42 building main-campus area. Denney "Now they close and lock things rather than check them on a route." "These have been buildings that were prime targets for office equipment, and they are being used." Given the lag time, this year is when the results of the securities division's precautions are becoming evident, Denney said. "We haven't changed police emphasis. We are not more attentive to the buildings, so the credit must go to the securities division," he said. Courtney said, "The security officers have been removing the opportunity for them to harm victims." TOTAL CRIMES BY MONTHS (1981)
TheftBurglaryCrimes Against PersonsCriminal DamageOther
January651842223
February512242216
March9622112530
April892373118
May602824331
June4352105
July3510347
August24731817
September5115102244
October1012182333
November5318112130
December502671011
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