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NEWS / MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
CAMPUS
KU Public Safety, 1501 Crestline Drive, responds to all emergency calls on campus. The Public Safety office must communicate with the Lawrence Police Department to avoid confusion between jurisdictions.
Campus police respond to the call
BY GARTH SEARS gsears@kansan.com
A man has an emergency on campus. He dials 911. Where does his call go?
Whether he's on a cell phone, land line or one of the 78 blue emergency phones on campus, his call goes to the dispatch center at the Public Safety Building, 1501 Crestline Drive.
If it's a call that requires police response, the University of Kansas Public Safety Office sends a car. If the call involves a fire or requires medical attention, the dispatch center will radio to the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Department to send the appropriate vehicles.
The center has Enhanced 911, which means that the dispatch center will receive the man's location along with his call, even triangulating the location of a cell phone with nearby cell towers.
It's all simple enough, except that the entire campus is enclosed within the jurisdiction of another police force.
If the man has his accident just outside of campus, his call goes instead to the dispatch center with the Lawrence Police Department, 111 E. 11 St., and a different department would intervene.
There are potential problems with one police jurisdiction located entirely within another's. But the campus and Lawrence police coordinate well, according to Chris Keary, the University's assistant chief of police.
Both dispatch centers will actually use the other for an overflow of calls - "mutual backup," Keary said. They use the same computer
system and monitor each other's radio, too, so there's no confusion in a case of multiple calls about the same incident.
Marjorie Hedden, the evening shift supervisor at the Douglas County dispatch, said that the similarities were so close that her staff could even move into the University's dispatch center in an emergency.
Keary said that some cellular companies were even working with both departments to determine the exact latitude and longitude of the campus jurisdiction for their Enhanced 911 cell phone locator.
when questions arise about which department is responsible for dealing with a crime - say an on-campus crime spills off campus - the police officers on scene quickly solve them based on things like where the crime started.
"We figure it out: 'Whose is this?' 'Is this a crime?' 'Who's going to report this?' " Keary said. "We know where our jurisdictions are, and we're good at working it out."
Strictly speaking, property owned or operated by the University or any of its associations Endowment, Alumni, Athletics or student - is under the jurisdiction of the Public Safety Office including all streets and property adjacent to campus.
But University officers are allowed authority off campus in two ways. They are allowed to follow up on crimes that started on campus. The city of Lawrence and the University also have a jurisdiction agreement that allows University officers to use authority in off-campus areas of Lawrence if they think a crime is occurring. They are allowed full authority given to the Lawrence Police Department until one of the Lawrence police officers arrives.
Precautions necessary while living at college
CRIME
BY CAROLINE BLEDOWSKI
cbledowski@kansan.com
Adam Herberg, torner resident assistant at Ellsworth Hall, left his door unlocked while he was helping students move out of their dorm rooms. He assumed it was safe, but when he got back to his room, his Playstation 2 was missing.
"That was the only thing they took," said Herberg, a graduate student from Fenton, Mo. "I find it weird because they didn't take my computer or anything like that."
Herberg is not the only one whose property was stolen during moving day. Moving can be a stressful and chaotic time for students, which is convenient for thieves. While students are carrying boxes in or out of their dorms, many leave their cars unlocked or doors open.
"A lot of expensive property, unfortunately, is very portable - iPods, laptops, iPads. We all want the newest technology," said Capt. Schuyler Bailey of the KU Public Safety Office. "The problem is other people want it, too."
Theft of unattended property is the No.1 crime on college campuses, Bailey said. In 2009, theft accounted for 32 percent of all crimes committed on campus, according to records from the KU Public Safety Office.
When students start college and move into new homes, they have a lot on their mind, which often does not include safety. Leaving the door open when going to lunch or leaving a laptop unattended while going to the bathroom is not only convenient to students, but also to potential thieves.
"If I was in the library and I was just running to the bathroom... then I'd probably just leave it here," said Taylor Scott, a senior from Wichita. "But I think Id take into account how many people are here."
Things to
things to remember:
- Stay aware of your surroundings
- Don't leave your belongings unattended
- Walk in groups
- Don't walk in dark, lonely places
- Lock your car or door when you leave
- If in danger, yell and seek help
- Don't drink too much or have someone take care of you
- If attacked, call 911 and try to provide details
are not obliged to do so. Even if a laptop sits next to the library desk, the library staff is not responsible for protecting students' belongings, Bailev said.
Besides taking care of their property, students also need to take care of themselves. When deciding to go out at night, students should make sure they know how to get home afterwards, especially if they plan to consume alcohol, Bailey said.
"You need to be clear-headed, so that you can notice what's around you and react appropriately," Bailey said.
A person walking alone in a dark quiet street can be an easy target, so Bailey recommends that students avoid deserted areas and stay aware of their surroundings. If you think someone is following you, go to a more crowded area, and in the event of an attack make noise and seek the help of residents in nearby houses or businesses, he said.
"When someone yells for help, people will come out of their doors, people will open their windows," Bailey said.
The simplest way to avoid crime is to avoid dangerous situations and be careful, he said.
Herberg said students should not be too paranoid, but neglecting safety can be expensive and painful.
Edited by Joel Petterson
ODD NEWS
Kicking excrement lands man in jail
FARGO, N.D. — A Fargo man who tried to kick his own feces at police officers who responded to a party at his home was sentenced to serve a year in jail. Dennis Fike, 66, also must complete alcohol treatment or he might face another year in jail.
Fike was accused of defecating on a rug and attempting to kick feces at the officers last Aug. 28. His attorney argued that a handcuffed Fike had asked to use the bathroom and been denied.
Fike was convicted in June of attempting to contact a law enforcement official by bodily fluids or excrement and preventing arrest.
Man marinates cat in oil and peppers
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Police say a traffic stop led to animal cruelty charges after they found a live cat "marinating" in oil and peppers in the trunk of a car.
Buffalo police say officers heard the cat meowing when they stopped 51-year-old Gary Korkuc of Cheektowaga to ticket him for running a stop sign Sunday night.
They say they checked the trunk and found 4-year-old Navarro in a cage, his fur covered with oil, crushed red peppers and chili peppers.
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