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My first-ever Super Person Award goes to Sam Long, for bravery and awesomeness in the face of danger. Sitting in her off-campus apartment around 1 a.m. on a Saturday in February, the Communication senior noticed a hooded figure move from the kitchen to her bedroom. A scramble for the door and a short chase later, Sam was face-to-face with two burglars. Allegedly, there was a confrontation, her head her was bashed in and she was kicked by the assailants. At that time the men fled the scene, but they were picked up by Evanston Police soon after.
Sam's story ended positively - with only minor injuries, her belongings returned to her and a Super Person award. But that's not where it began. Last September she reported a burglary where expensive equipment including laptops, iPods and digital cameras were taken from her apartment on the 1600 block of Ridge Avenue.
And Super Sam is not alone. In one apartment building across a courtyard from hers, at least four burglaries and a break-in have been reported this year. All of these incidents occurred in only five apartments. The EPD responded quickly, but more attention should be paid by the University Police, who need to expand their focus beyond busting parties.
"It's terrifying," says former Daily columnist and Weinberg senior Lindsay Shadrick, who lives on the same block as Super Sam. "You never really feel safe in your own home."
The apartment of Shadrick, who lives with two female students, was burglarized during Spring Break; $3900 worth of belongings and cash are still unaccounted for. At times she feels vulnerable because a break-in could occur while she is at home. She's not sure if the crime can be prevented, and she feels she only sees police when partying is involved.
In 2003 the UP expanded its jurisdiction and teamed up with the EPD to launch a party-patrol for Friday and Saturday nights. According to UP Assistant Chief Daniel McAleer, the patrol has improved the safety of students and residents by cracking down on dangerous parties. There has been a significant decrease in off campus student citations for "noise, drinking and illicit urination," the UP told the The Daily in the spring of 2005.
There has also been a joint-burglary task force deployed over some Winter and Spring breaks.
But for some, that is not enough. According to the UP Web site, from 2002-04 there averaged 33 total residential burglaries per year on-campus. The average number of burglaries near campus per year is 112.
The UP needs to take a more proactive role in investigating and patrolling high-risk areas.
It should not wait until a student gets seriously injured before they act. We've cut down on peeing on residents' tulips, so put away your ticket writing pad and help ensure off-campus students are safe from residents. Until then, I'm writing them a ticket for being Non-Super.
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