MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2005
5A
GREEK SECURITY
Micah Swade, Lewisburg sophomore, reads in the living room of the annex of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Burglar took DVD players, DVDs and video games from annex members this semester.
lights had been on the sorority's agenda for a long time. The light installation became the number one priority after the February incident.
The front entrance of the sorority house already had an automatic lock and the back doors have manual locks. The intruder got in the house from an unlocked door, Vrona said.
Fraternities on campus have also increased security this semester.
The rule was approved last September. Anyone caught on the escape is fined $50.
Zimmerman, Pi Kappa Phi president, said he enacted a house policy last fall that prohibited anyone from going out on the three fire escapes.
In December, someone tried to enter the house from a fire escape on the fourth floor, Zimmerman said. He and his roommate chased the man to 15th and Kentucky St. and then called the police, he said. Police caught the man, but Zimmerman said he did not know what happened to him.
There is a security code to the back door of Pi Kappa Phi, 1537 Tennessee St., which is the most used entrance, Zimmerman said. The fraternity has 15 entrances. Because the house has so many entrances, Zimmerman said he advised members of the fraternity to lock the doors every night. At Pi Kappa Phi, the fire escape incident was the only break-in that the fraternity has dealt with this academic year.
Problems with Security
Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, 1645 Tennessee St., has had security problems at the annex across the street.
The "South Annex" of the fraternity was broken into four times this semester, said John Krause, Overland Park junior and resident of the annex.
About $40,000 worth of possessions was stolen in four months, he said. After one break-in, a car was stolen last November. Someone broke into the annex, took one of the resident's car keys and stole his car. It was missing for about three weeks before police ran a car check and located it, Krause said.
Annex residents have responded. The house paid $100 for five-inch pins that push through the window into the window sill for more security, Krause said. But he still doesn't think that will keep burglaries away.
"Sometimes, a really strong wind could break these windows," he said. "In the summer, if these guys want in, they'll get back in."
Two of the burglaries occurred during winter break and spring break when fewer students were present.
Burglar have stolen DVDs, DVD players and video games, Krause said.
"It got to the point to where we expected it each time," he said. "I took my DVD player home over spring break."
annex.
"These, people are from the bottom of the social hierarchy, he said, referring to the burglars. 'They're cowards, they're desperate, and they can't make a living, so they're doing something stupid."
Still. Krause feels safe at the
The fraternity has had other security problems.
Sigma Phi Epsilon members had had their cars broken into on three consecutive weekends last semester, said Sam Pickell, Sigma Phi Epsilon president. Five cars were damaged.
"We had guys volunteer to sit out at the parking lot on a Friday and Saturday night when the cars were all getting broken into," Pickell said. "But of course on that weekend, nothing happened."
Eric Corder's Camaro was broken into last September. The Ottawa junior said the incident happened around 6 a.m. and he found out about it at 11 a.m. when he went outside to the parking lot to find someone else's car door open.
His own car was locked, Someone had probably gotten into his car by breaking the hatch of his trunk with a screwdriver. Corder said.
Piles of his belongings were spread across the floor of his car. His sunroof was open. Corder's subwoofer from his trunk were taken, along with CDs.
"I had those subwoofers custom built and that cost me about $600," he said. "I had a large amount of CDs as well, and in the end, I lost about $900 worth. That's something insurance doesn't cover."
Incoming Freshmen
Sigma Phi Epsilon has coded door locks on four of the six entrances. Pickell said he never considered getting an alarm system because too many people came in and out of the house.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
When Danielle Strauber,
Greenwood Village, Colo., freshman,
came to Kansas last fall,
she joined Alpha Gamma Delta
sorority. Although she made
friends right away, she had one
concern — security.
know if Lawrence was safe or not at night. The first thing I heard was that there was a shooting at Jeff, Co."
"I was freaking out," she said.
"Being from Colorado, I didn't
Strauber was referring to the incident last year at Jefferson Commons, 2511 W. 31st St., where a man was shot and killed during a party.
Even though Strauber did not live at the sorority house first semester, she said security played an important role in choosing a house.
"We first saw the house at midday, so I didn't know if it was going to be dark or lit up at night," she said. "It's really well-lit though."
Phi Kappa Theta fraternity, 1111 W. 11th St., had security problems on April 9.
Recent Incident
Michael Pilshaw, Lawrence junior, said two leather black couches, a black leather loveseat, black leather chairs and three foot rests were found missing between 6 and 9 a.m. The couches were valued at $2,000 and the chair was valued at $400, according to a Lawrence police report.
Since the incident, Phi Kappa Theta hired a security guard to patrol the front of the house from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights. Pilshaw said the fraternity had done nothing like this before.
The security guard will monitor a front door on the weekends that has no lock on it. Phi Kappa Theta has a side door and two back doors with locks on them. Pilshaw said.
Unfortunately for Phi Kappa Theta, the security problems were the least of their concerns. The fraternity was expelled from campus because of an unregistered party on Feb. 19.
"Since we're moving out at the end of the year, we'd rather do this than buy a security system." Pilshaw said.
But while Phi Kappa Theta may be able to ignore security concerns for now, most greek houses are continually adapting to confront them.
Edited by Lisa Coble-Krings and Jesse Truesdale
Campus theft occasional
BY ERIC SORRENTINO esorrentino@hansan.com KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Students at residence halls are less concerned than fraternity and sorority houses about security related issues. Scholarship hall residents are more aware.
"I feel like we have a closeknit community, said Matt Henley, Hashinger resident and Fort Smith, Ark. freshman. "We play practical jokes on people, like taking away a computer and hiding it, but I feel pretty safe."
Residence halls have security at night in the form of desk assistants, or "deskles," who check residents into the building by scanning their KUIDs after 11 p.m. The only time security has been inefficient at Hashinger was when the KUID card scanners did not work. Deskies had to manually look up residents on lists to make sure they lived there, Henley said.
The biggest security issue at GSP comes from people going out the side doors late at night. Everyone must check in and out at the front entrance, Laubner said.
"I've never had anyone try to enter from another location other than the front," said Kyle Laubner, GSP desk assistant and Burlington freshman.
This causes an alarm to go off. Deskies are advised to go
after these individuals and report them to the associate complex director, Laubner said.
"This happens once a week," Laubner said. "But I've really encountered anyone that would make me feel unsafe there."
Everyone must check in and out of the front entrance, Laubner said.
Residents at the scholarship halls are not as concerned about security related issues as well, but they remember earlier problems.
K. K. Amini Scholarship Hall had problems with the thefts two years ago around December. The front door was only locked overnight and during break, as opposed to other scholarship halls that automatically locked their doors at all times, said Steve Bagwell, K.K. Amini resident and Lawrence senior.
People broke into the scholarship hall director's room and took residents' room keys. Bagwell has lived in the scholarship hall for four years and played it safe on holiday breaks after the incident.
"I take most of my expensive stuff home over breaks, like my guitars and my computer," he said.
When school is in session and people are around, thefts have not been a concern Bagwell said.
— Edited by Jesse Truesdale
Student Burglaries Approximate Ratio population Burglaries/Student
BURGLARIES IN COMMUNAL LIVING
Student Housing Greek Housing
5,173*
3,391
- not including Stouffer Place Apartments
Source: Lawrence Police Department, KU Public Safety Office,
Department of Student Housing
1:167
1:339