After three robberies hit the VCU area last week, students continue to be concerned about their safety and well-being.
“It is sad that there are robberies,” said Tonicia Berger, a sophomore biology major. “VCU is a school in the middle of an urban area, so it’s nothing I wouldn’t expect.”
Reuban Rodriguez, associate vice provost and dean of student affairs, said he works to educate students about campus safety.
“We meet with students to discuss safety issues regarding crime,” he said. “In an incident like robbery, we do not want to place an emphasis on self-defense. Some experts state that the victim is less likely to be harmed if they comply with the individual’s demands.
“Plus, students should be able to provide police with as much information as they can about what happened. I think it is up to everyone to help the community to make it safe. The students have a role, the faculty has a role and the police have a role.”
Though they remain concerned about the robberies, some students echoed Berger’s opinion about expecting crimes to occur in the VCU area.
“It’s scary, but at the same time if you are living in the city that’s the kind of thing you have to deal with,” said Jay Klara, first-year theater major. “You’re better in tune on handling situations like this.”
Paul Timmreck, senior vice president for finance and administration, sends mass e-mails to the VCU students and faculty concerning safety on campus.
“Apathy sometimes can be dangerous,” Timmreck said in regards to student safety.
Some students are taking precautions because of the recent crimes.
“Robberies make me nervous,” said Alisha Niblett, sophomore radiation therapy major. “That’s why I walk with people. I don’t walk alone.”
Julian Camero, first-year mechanical engineering student, has another point of view about robberies and how to avoid the risk of being robbed.
“Students should be watching out for themselves to begin with. They are looking for trouble by going out late at night in dark places,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to snap into action to realize it’s dangerous right after the crime happens. You should already know that.”
Other students also offered suggestions for avoiding such crimes.
“Students should be more aware of their surroundings,” said Louisa Sargent, first-year theater major, who urged students to use a buddy system. “Be smart about what you are doing or where you are going.”
The university installed yellow one-way phones in areas throughout the campus so that students can notify authorities about any suspicious activity or risks they face. Many of these phones can be seen in parking lots and on campus buildings.
“I don’t think VCU can do anything (more) than what they are doing right now,” said Keith Gurgick, a first-year English major. “They have call boxes and things like that. Also, VCU should make students aware about what is happening.”
Matt Stanley, junior international relations major, said he was not surprised by the crimes.
“I mean it is Richmond. There is a lot of crime in Richmond,” he said, agreeing that “the campus police phones are pretty effective in helping to reduce crime. We could use a lot more of these phones around campus.”
Moreover, Jen Koca, first-year psychology major, said areas without police phones make her nervous.
“There are a lot of areas I know of around campus that do not have cops watching the area,” she said. “In fact, these are the areas that have the most crime. There aren’t even call boxes there.”
Another alternative to the campus phones is the VCU Police Security Escort Service, where the university provides transportation to students from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. This service provides security escorts for the safety of members of the university community traveling to and from university-related activities.
Still, some students, including Ashley Falls, sophomore business major, said she and others would take matters into their own hands if faced with a crime situation.
“You can’t be scared because there’s really nothing you can do,” Falls said. “Just walk around with a group of friends or carry around pepper spray. Or if you have your cell phone, it’s easier to just call 911 than to rely on the campus phones. But if I do get worried, I would just put my cell phone to my ear and make like I was talking to someone.”
Timmreck warns people to not take chances, saying that money and other valuables are not worth losing a life.
Matt Greene, a junior psychology major, said he thinks students can stop crime through more education and learning about preventing it by reducing their risks wherever they go.
“I think VCU has done a good job in educating people about these areas and what they should do to avoid (crime) situations like these,” he said. “It is not possible to effectively wipe out or prevent crime altogether. It’s a matter of education, just like AIDS. If you educate people about preventive measures they can take, they can avoid being harmed or victimized.”
Josh Hall, a first-year undeclared student, said the university should continue issuing precautions and implementing alerts as well as other safety measures.
“VCU should keep doing what they are doing,” he said. “They could maybe tighten down security on campus. It’s pretty hard to avoid crime since we are in the center of a big city.”