Student raises safety concerns
Knock-knock. Who’s there? Not Campus Police. For the past year and a half that I have lived on campus, my initially positive view of the campus police has gone drastically downhill.
It all started one cold, late night last winter when I parked on the opposite side of campus and started making my trek back to my dorm. When all of the construction started on Roberts Hall, there rarely were any parking spots left behind Cravens Hall or in the gravel lots by the time I would get off work, which usually was very late. I am honestly too cheap to park in an undesignated parking lot and risk getting a ticket.
As I was walking toward Cravens Hall from behind the library, clearly in my work uniform, I saw the campus police sitting in front of Esch Hall. I thought that maybe they would say “hello” or perhaps even offer to escort me back to Cravens Hall.
What else could they be doing at two in the morning? I was completely wrong. As soon as I entered their view, they drove off, passing me without saying a word. Since that night, other situations like this have occurred.
One night this past October, my boyfriend and I decided to make a late night trip to Taco Bell. As he stupidly galloped over to his car to get his phone charger, I waited uncomfortably by my car hoping that no one was witnessing him. Then, out of nowhere, the campus police showed up.
“Are you OK?” an officer asked me.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I told him.
“Is he OK?” he asked me.
“Um. I’m not sure,” I responded, laughing.
As the officer proceeded to drive off, I realized the campus police had just stopped to talk to me, late at night, for the first time ever. Of course, I did note that the only time they ever talked to me was when I was with someone else, which made me quite angry. Since that night, I have paid close attention to the actions of the campus police. The list of annoyances they have helped me create just keeps getting longer.
Oftentimes, when I am driving home from work late at night, I will pass the Speedway on the corner of Hanna and Madison and notice a number of campus police vehicles sitting in the parking lot. One would think that since it is late at night, this would be prime patrolling time, but apparently not.
One night, I got off work and was still sitting in my car when I saw one Campus Police car speed down the parking lot behind Roberts Hall. Two seconds later, another did the same. Chasing each other perhaps? They were definitely going too fast to be observing anything. I was glad to know that they were spending their time wisely.
A few weeks ago, I was working on a project in the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center. When the time came for the building to be closed, two different custodians came over at separate times to check my building pass and inform me that a cadet, and possibly an officer, would be through to recheck it. Oh, that cadet came all right, speed-walking down the hallway right past me as I worked. He never even checked my pass.
My first thought was, Cool. It’s good to know anyone could be in this building right now. My second thought was, He’s probably in a hurry to get to Speedway. It is about that time.
While Campus Police obviously are not watching me, I am watching them, and I am constantly noting all of the flaws in their system and how they really do not make me feel safe when I am on campus. They all may be state certified, but if a young girl were walking alone late at night in this sketchy part of Indianapolis, would you just drive away?
