Campus Security & Public Safety

Those of us in the crime prevention business have long understood the importance of environmental factors on crime. In fact, a whole discipline – Crime Prevention through Environmental Design or CPTED – is devoted to this pursuit. The most recent issue of the Economist (yeah, Campo does actually read more than comic books) highlights the first study to actually test some of the basic CPTED theories. The findings have interesting implications for how we can significantly reduce crime through simply taking the time to clean up our environment.

Red the article here: http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12630201

If you have someone special who likes to bicycle consider giving them a Master brand “U-bolt” bike lock. These locks are better than cable locks and have a $3,500 Anti-Theft Guarantee if stolen.

Please join Fr. Kuder, GSBA, Plant Services personnel, students, staff and faculty on November 18th at 6 p.m. starting at the Welch Hall Security Office and continuing throughout the campus. The University will conduct its semi-annual campus walk-about to assess areas of improvement. Lighting, vegetation, blue light phones, camera systems, and other matters will be assessed and discussed. Your feedback is important to us. Bring warm clothing. Hot chocolate or apple cider provided.

Gonzaga Plant Services Director Ken Sammons, who has been a relentless advocate for pedestrian safety on and near our campus, shared recently that Avista will be installing a new streetlight at the northwest corner of Hamilton & Desmet which will include a mastarm and light facing east. This should significantly improve lighting at the intersection and crosswalk. 

We encourage all members of out community to share their ideas to improve the safety of our community. You can contact John VanSant, GU Public Safety & Security Director, at vansant@gonzaga.edu with your ideas.

For the past week, Gonzaga University has been the setting for a film being produced to help keep students and campuses safe across the country. Learn more here:

http://www.kxly.com/Global/story.asp?S=9327176&nav=menu683_2_10

Its just a bicycle! To others they are more than just a means of transportation. Bike thieves will argue that its one of the easiest crime to commit. To date numerous bikes have been stolen on campus. So how do we quell the thief’s desire? The answer can be as simple as a heavy duty U-bolt bike lock or bike handcuffs. Best of all cost is minimal compared to the alternative. U-bolt  bike locks are available at the CPS&S office for just $10 while supplies last!.

On Saturday, 2 GU students were contacted by 3 juvenile males near Cushing Hall who confronted them and “asked to see their wallets”. The students were able to remove themselves from the situation without physical harm or loss of property, and contacted GU Security who located the 3 subjects on campus. The students declined to press charges, but the juveniles were identified by the Spokane Police Department and trespassed from our property.

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What happens when students take ownership of their campus? Thieves get caught! There they were; “our” students minding their own business when they observed three individuals behaving in non-typical manners around bikes at Martin Centre. The students contacted CPS&S (X-2222) immediately after assessing something was amiss. Read the rest of this entry »