wednesday, april 21, 2004
news
the university daily kansan
5A
Jefferson Commons not liable for residents'safety
By Noeley J. Spellmier
nspellmeier@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
In the late afternoon of April 4, Jefferson Commons issued a statement to its residents, declaring that safety was the responsibility of the residents and the local law enforcement agency. The statement came hours after a fatal shooting had taken place in one of the apartments in the complex.
This reaction did not surprise resident David Scoppa. Scoppa, Fayetteville, Ark., sophomore, said the management was not involved with its residents.
"They haven't been available all year, they're hard to get ahold of. They don't really know what's going on," Scoppa said.
ington, scottsdale jefferson Commons residents
have been discussing how the complex is losing some of its appeal, Scoppa said, with residents now calling it the "new ghetto" and seeing it as pretty low class.
ing its pretty
ability for its residents, Jefferson
Properties Inc., which owns and
manages Jefferson Commons,
issued a statement:
"In response to this incident, we have alerted the courtesy patrol to be on the lookout for anything or anyone suspicious on the property and to alert it to the police immediately. We ask that residents be selective in who they invite into their apartment and also be cautious of the people their visitors bring with them. In addition, we have reiterated Jefferson Commons' basic safety measures to our residents. These measures include
asking residents to always lock their doors both when they are inside their apartment and when they leave, keeping windows or screens securely latched at all times, and walking with at least one other person outside the apartment at night."
Though Jefferson Commons did not respond to a question on if anyone had requested to break a lease, some students had initially expressed interest in doing so.
ways exist to break a lease. The tenant can report a written complaint if there is a breach by the landlord that affects the health or safety of the residents. The landlord then has 14 days to make a good-faith effort to remedy the problem, and must fix it within 30 days. The second way a contract may be broken is if there is damage that makes the property unlivable.
expressed interest.
But getting out of a lease is a difficult process, even after a felony takes place nearby, said Lauren Reinhold, an attorney with Legal Services for Students. Since the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act went into effect in 1997, which Reinhold describes as "landlord friendly," only two
"Unless Jefferson Commons lets its tenants out of their leases, my opinion is that Jefferson Commons tenants would not be able to get out of their lease because of this," Reinhold said of the shooting.
hold said for the shooting.
As for a landlord's responsibility and the safety statement from Jefferson Commons, Reinhold said the management was probably trying to remind their residents that safety is their own concern, but someone who chooses to live in a gated community probably expects more.
ably expects more. Little can be done when residents' guests cause problems, as is the case with Lafayette Cosby. Cosby was staying with residents at Jefferson Commons when the April 4 shooting occurred. He is being tried in connection to the first-degree murder in the death of Roger Tyrone Martin. Neither the victim nor the suspect were Jefferson Commons residents.
son Commons resident.
Cosby was previously on trial for voluntary manslaughter in 1998 in connection with the stabbing death of David E. Walker.
Cosby stabbed Walker at Colony Woods apartment complex, 1301 W. 24th St. The jury acquitted
Cosby,iring rescuers Colony Woods has a courtesy patrol through the company Innovative Security.The patrol runs from 7:00 p.m.to 5:00 a.m. every night.Some responsibilities of the patrol include responding to calls,locking up the pool and patrolling the area.
patrolling the area. Julie Gibler, manager, said it was difficult to control exactly who was there if it's not a gated community.
"With an open community, we can't determine who is coming on and off of our property. But we care enough to have the courtesy patrol," she said. "Of course we take responsibility for our residents, but we don't take responsibility for crime."
Groups join to fight racial concerns
Members of the Black Student Union walked from the Kansas State University Student Union Plaza to Anderson Hall following a rally in the plaza. Members of the black Student Union wore shirts that read W.W.R.G., standing for "When will Ron go?" and delivered letters to dean's around campus.
Edited by Meghan Brune
By Jodie Krafft
jkraftt@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Through marches, discussions and letters, members of the Black Student Union at Kansas State University are expressing their concerns with multicultural coverage in the Kansas State Collegian, and members of the Black Student Union at University of Kansas are getting involved too.
Members of the organization in Manhattan were specifically upset about the lack of coverage of the annual Big 12 Conference for Black Student Government. About 1,500 students attended the Feb. 21 conference in Manhattan, and the Collegian didn't cover the event.
cover the event.
The issue of under-representation of multicultural groups in the newspaper has been going on for a long time, said Natalie Rolfe, president of the organization at Kansas State. Rolfe said there were several instances of events that were not covered by the Collegian, but the lack of coverage of the conference and a comment in the Forum was what caused the group to take action.
In the Feb. 23 issue of the Collegeian, a comment was printed in the Forum, the Collegeian's equivalent of the Free for All. The following comment ran the Monday after the Big 12 conference weekend: "I just walked out of the Union, and I smelled fried chicken. Is that weird?"
members is that members of black student unions in the Big 12 took this to be a racially suggestive message. Sarah Rice, managing editor, said the Collegian staff was unaware of the comment's meaning, and the newspaper has a policy to not print slanderous or libelous content.
sandurous of liberal Rofle said the organization held a rally and wrote a letter demanding changes within the Collegian, and black student unions in the other Big 12 schools wrote letters in support of K-State's organization.
In past semesters, the Collegeian has had beat reporters to specifically cover certain groups and organizations.
and organizations Rice said the newspaper didn't have beat reporters this semester because there is a small number of reporters and they're new.
She said in response to the demanded changes, the newspaper met to discuss diversity implemented beat reporters once again and would begin diversity training in the fall.
training in the lab "It's a step in the right direction. We've gained a lot of understanding of what it means to have diversity on campus." Rice said
Rolfe said coverage had increased since the march, but she questioned the motives.
"They have been doing a better job, but it's in response to what
we've been doing," Rolfe said. "We're looking for a permanent solution."
solution. Kriston Guillot, president of the Big 12 council and a member of the Black Student Union at the University, said he asked all the Big 12 schools to write letters during the council's spring meeting.
"We felt the concern, and we brainstormed how we could be
effective," Guillot said.
The organization in Manhattan is tentatively planning a community rally for April 50, Rolfe said. Guillot said the University's group would definitely support Manhattan's organization.
"We'll try to get as many people as possible there to lend our support to them." Guillot said.
— Edited by Paul Kramer
By Laura Pate
lpate@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Last night at City Hall, four out of five city commissioners approved a resolution banning the USA PATRIOT Act.
Two months ago, Lawrence failed to pass a similar resolution banning the act, which the Lawrence Bill of Rights Committee submitted.
Dave Corliss, director of legal services, Commissioner David Schauer and the Lawrence Bill of Rights Committee proposed the revised resolution.
During public comment, all citizens favored the revised resolution.
zens favored the revised resolution Commissioner David Dunfield hesitated to pass the first resolution because it was written by the Lawrence Bill of Rights Committee and not legal professionals.
The first resolution allowed the Lawrence Public Library to post a notice that patron's records could be searched and stressed that police officers closely follow the Constitution, while the approved resolution does not give officers specifics for dealing with suspects.
"My opinion hasn't changed," Dunfield said yesterday. "My concern is that the PATRIOT Act goes too far, that it threatens civil liberties."
President Bush passed the act in 2001 to end acts of terrorism. The act gives the government the power to monitor activities on the Internet and to search library records. Lawrence stands with 293 communities banning the act.
Though it took two months for Lawrence's legal team to revise the resolution, some commissioners believe that now is a better time to pass a resolution.
time to帕拉里。The act infringes on citizens' rights, said Vice-Mayor Dennis "Boog" Highberger. Now is the time to get the message to the federal government, Highberger said.
Commissioner Sue Hack voted against the resolution.
"People feel like support or lack of support is a litmus test for patriotism or civil liberties," Hack said. "I do not think that is the case."
It is not appropriate for Lawrence to lobby legislation by using a resolution, she said.
using a reshuffle. Mayor Mike Rundle said that Lawrence should confront federal law and the government.
"We've lobbied all the time, against slavery and women's suffrage when they were sanctioned," Rundle said.
Those things did not change until people lobbied against them, he said.
— Edited by Donovan Atkinson
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