Ken Hunkus 1
Safety in The Campus Community
Kenneth Hunkus
Political Science
Project Sponsor: Dr. Marion
Number of Project Credits: 3
Addressing Safety in the Campus Community: A Proposal for the Community South of
Exchange Street
The University of Akron has continually received high praise for Campus safety. Its
aggressive pursuit of law enforcement and security within the campus limits has resulted in
limited crime and a semblance of safety. But beyond the blue glow of The University‘s safety
lights, crime occurrence is notably higher. With a large number of students residing in the
neighborhoods surrounding Campus, it is the responsibility of the University and the City to
provide acceptable levels of security. In the current academic year of Fall 2010 through Spring
2011, I have analyzed crime statistics in areas of close proximity to the University. Using survey
information gathered by the University through safety-related research in Undergraduate Student
Government, I have identified a densely populated crime hot-spot for further study: The
neighborhood South of Exchange Street. Using crime research from several universities, I have
identified propositions for consideration in Akron including: The establishment of a ‗Safety
Corridor,‘ expansion of the City Safety Ambassador Program, and University Park Alliance
collaboration for a police sub-station. After identifying these three suggestions for budgetfriendly solutions, I have also outlined possible routes of funding acquisition for said proposals.
Acting on the results of the research, I have begun the necessary motions to ensure that the
effects of this proposal are traceable to future students and policy-makers at The University of
Akron.
Ken Hunkus 2
Safety in The Campus Community
Kenneth F. Hunkus
Addressing Safety in the Campus Community: A Proposal for the Community South of
Exchange Street
Campus Safety: Moving in the Right Direction
―Shooting reported south of campus,‖ ―Aggravated robbery reported south of campus,‖
―Robbery reported south of campus.‖(UA Z-Alert, 2011) Over the period of two months during
the spring 2011 semester, students received these alerts and several more. In compliance with the
Clery Act, University of Akron students receive email and text alerts ―…as soon as facts of the
situation [were] verified and the determination was made that the threat was serious or ongoing‖
(UA, 2011). With the bombardment of email alerts, the perception of safety on campus has
suffered. As recently as 14 April, 2011, the independent student newspaper The Buchtelite
released survey results indicating 62% of students feel ‗somewhat unsafe‘ or ‗not safe‘ on
campus (Walker, 2011).
While the validity of the survey methods are debatable, analysis of previous data
suggests that the opposite sentiments should exist: Over the course of the past four years, the
University has increased the size of its police force and extended services to secure campus,
rendering an increase in University population relatively non-influential on crime rates compared
to the population. Results are clear: Trends show over a three year period a major decrease in
violent crime on campus (figure 1) and a statistical plateau in property crime vs. student
population.
Ken Hunkus 3
Safety in The Campus Community
(figure 1: Crime on Campus at The University of Akron - Data from the FBI Uniform
Crime Reports 2007-2009)
Year
Student
Population
UAPD
Employment
Total
Officers
Total
Civilians
Violent
Crime
Property
Crime
Percentage of
students
victimized
2007
21,882
39
32
7
15
367
1.7%
2008
23,007
24,119
45
44
40
38
5
6
6
358
2
421
1.6%
1.7%
2009
It should be noted that while property crime has increased, a substantial portion of the
property crime increase has been from larceny-theft (up 59 occurrences from 2007 to 2009).
Even so, the increase proves minimal with an increase of more than 2000 students between the
same years.
Crime in the City of Akron
Either these statistics have little influence on the safety concerns of students while on
campus or other factors influence their views. For a better frame of observation for this issue, it
is important data be analyzed on crime in the surrounding community. Like many campuses in
the center of a densely populated urban environment, The University of Akron is subject to much
influence beyond that of the isolated population of the student body. Data collected from the
FBI‘s Uniform Crime Reports shows crime rates beyond the campus limits in figure 2.
Figure 2: Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reports (2005-2009.)
Year
2005
2007
2008
Population
212272
208701
206485
2009
206497
Violent
Property
crime
crime
1265
12040
1567
10494
1897
10721
1916
10485
Ken Hunkus 4
Safety in The Campus Community
This snapshot of the City of Akron shows two major trends, the most concerning
of which is violent crime, as shown in figure 3.
(Figure 3: Graphical representation of data known for violent crime in the City of Akron)
Much changed from 2005 to 2009, and it is impossible to isolate just one factor as
responsible for the crime increase. One possible area of interest includes the city employment of
police officers, as represented in figure 4: (Figure 4: Police Employment Over Time)
Ken Hunkus 5
Safety in The Campus Community
This decrease appears more extreme than it truly is, showing a loss of only 16 officers
from 2005 to 2009. Crime is on the rise disproportionately, however, and the minimal increases
annually in the City‘s budget are unable to increase police officer employment as shown in
figure 5.
(Figure 5: City of Akron Budget Allocation - Police Department 2005-2009. Data
gathered from annual City of Akron Budget in Brief (2005-2009.)
Budget (Millions)
Percent of total budget
47.6
30.68%
46.6
17.34%
44.3
15.72%
42.9
15.61%
40.4
15.77%
Year
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
In what seems like an annual basis, local headlines display some form of warning of
coming layoffs for the police department:
Ken Hunkus 6
Safety in The Campus Community
Further research shows that while very few of the feared layoffs come to fruition, the
budget is balanced. According to a human resources representative at APD, ―… the layoffs are
usually negotiated away, and the strategy of the department is to maintain current employment
numbers and not replace officers after firings or retirement (personal communication, APD HR,
Feb 17, 2011.)‖
Project Foundation
With the aforementioned trends noted, I asked the prime question and focus of my study:
With looming budget cuts in both the City of Akron and The University, how do we bring down
crime rates in the City of Akron and campus community?
As a Senator in The Associated Student Government, I have heard safety concerns from
the student body for over three years, and my involvement serves as a framework for research
and implementation. Recognized under the Ohio Revised Code, The Associated Student
Government serves as a liaison between the student body and faculty and administration,
regularly voicing concern or suggestions through resolutions adopted by a majority vote of the
elected Senate. Through this organization, as later discussed, I was able to network with The
University‘s committee on safety and several groups related to development of property in the
City of Akron – allowing a view on the inner-workings of law enforcement concerns and
responses from the civilian sector. These groups not only influenced the methods later
mentioned, but are also the main actors in the process of executing our suggestions.
Ken Hunkus 7
Safety in The Campus Community
Part I: Recognizing Improvement and Excellence
In Fall Semester of 2010, I began working on a project to address crime on campus at
The University. Having received the ‗Z-Alert‘ emails, I intended to develop a resolution
requesting The University increase police patrols to handle the apparent surge of crime that the
emails would appear to indicate. Though most Senators I approached shared the same concerns, I
was shocked to discover that initial research actually suggested the opposite: crime on campus
was slightly below the averages of the years previous. (UAPD, 2010) Initial research is shown in
figure 6.
(figure 6: crime occurrences on campus 2007-2009 –Statistics from 2010 Campus Safety
Report)
Aside from motor-vehicle theft, a trend was evident indicating a decrease in crime on
campus. More recent data has not yet been published, but based on the previous data, crime was
Ken Hunkus 8
Safety in The Campus Community
no higher per month than in past years – something unexpected. With city trends indicating
increases in violent crime and nonviolent rates higher than the national trends, it was apparent
the University was doing something right, but what was it? Upon further research, I learned that
they have 40 full-time officers and share joint jurisdiction with the City of Akron to patrol and
aid in APD law enforcement efforts (UAPD, 2011).
Through discussion with our Chief of Staff, I was directed to research The Safety Task
Force at the University of Akron. Using the University website I was able to discover more about
the Safety Task Force. According to The report ―Safety at The University of Akron‖ presented
to the Board of Trustees March 26th, 2008:
“ The Safety Task Force was appointed by the President to meets weekly to analyze
incidents, data and April, we will form a University-wide safety committee to review incidents
and to make recommendations for policies and practices that will help improve safety and
security on campus and in University Park.”
The report was presented by the originally appointed Safety Task Force members: Dr.
Charles J. Fey, Mr. Ted Curtis, Chief Paul Callahan, Mr. Ken Stapleton, Mr. James Sage, and
Ms. Sabrina Andrews (Safety Task Force, 2008).
In the report, they displayed trends from 2005 to 2007, including the rises noted above in
comparison with the national statistics. They concluded that steps needed to be taken in order to
target crime rates on the campus and in the campus community with a specific densely studentpopulated area of concern.
The report, issued nearly three years before my research, allowed for a simple evaluation
of the study: Comparing the 2008 and 2009 statistics with those from 2005-2007 allowed me to
gauge the effectiveness of their efforts. Stats from my analysis are included in figure 7.
Ken Hunkus 9
Safety in The Campus Community
(Figure 7: Crime stats at The University of Akron – Data from Uniform Crime Reports ans
Safety Task Force Report)
Year
Violent Crimes
Forcible Sex Offenses
Robbery
Aggravated Assault
Total Enrollment
Number of Crimes University of Akron (Main Campus) Kent
More-recent
State (Main
Data
Campus)
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
14
7
14
13
7
4
8
5
6
9
4
2
5
2
5
3
3
2
1
0
3
1
0
0
22,314
21801
22476
23439
23007
24119
These results led me to believe the Safety Task Force was making an impact on crime,
but what were they doing to deter and prevent it? The committee went campus-wide in late 2008,
and the committee‘s agenda included expanding training to campus students through the UAPD
such as:
A.L.I.C.E (Alert-Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Escape)
Self-Defense Classes for Women
Alcohol Awareness
Sexual Assault And Awareness Program
Addressing New Student/Parent Orientations (Safety Task Force,
2008)
Based on the statistics from figure 6, these programs likely impacted students‘ awareness
and perceptions, leading to a slightly more attuned student body. While prevention starts at the
victim, other goals the committee outlined included maintaining relationships with county, state,
and federal authorities, increasing patrol routes in the highlighted areas, supplementing officers
with security forces, and expansion of video surveillance capabilities.
Armed with this information, I presented my findings to Senate in the form of a
resolution, SR-14-10-11. In this resolution, we recognized the University of Akron‘s Safety
Task Force Committee and The University of Akron Police Department for their efforts in
Ken Hunkus 10
Safety in The Campus Community
combatting crime at the University of Akron. With rising rates a common trend throughout the
city, The University remains a relatively safe and accommodating oasis even with dwindling
support from city resources.
In the resolution‘s rationale we included the suggestion of drafting a letter to include with
the legislation in order to thank The Safety Task Force and UAPD. As a more formal
recognition, we agreed that engraved plaques were an appropriate form of recognition. Shown
below is an article from the University of Akron‘s E-mail Digest highlighting the presentation of
the award (Email Digest,2011).
Ken Hunkus 11
Safety in The Campus Community
Rationale for SENATE RESOLUTION 14-10-11
Honorable Senators,
This resolution is to recognize and commend the University of Akron‘s Police
Department and The Safety Task Force for their efforts in increasing security and consequently
decreasing the crime rate within the University of Akron and the surrounding Community. It
should be recognized that crime on campus has decreased significantly from 2005-2009.
Through innovative programs and installations such as Community and Housing Oriented
Policing (CHOP), the Safety Task Force and UAPD have worked to develop a safer campus.
A.L.I.C.E. training, self-defense classes, safety talks, and new student orientation safety briefings
have created a safety-minded student body. Their incorporation and consideration of ASG Safety
Walk findings have led 375 safety concerns being addressed. Their implementation of UA Safety
Alerts allows open communication and transparency to the student body, helping students better
safeguard themselves.
In addition, the University of Akron Police Department Officers should be commended
for their selfless service in the protection of the student body and the City of Akron. Their
professionalism, diligence, and courage in the line of duty have made the University of Akron
and the City of Akron a safer place.
The strides made by the University of Akron Police Department and University of Akron
Safety Task Force have substantially increased the security, safety, and overall sense of
community throughout the City of Akron and University campus. We feel strongly that
recognition should be delivered to these fine organizations as a thank you for their service to the
student body.
Thank you for your consideration.
_________________________
Dominic J Donofrio
University College Senator
_________________________
Kenneth Hunkus
Senator-At-Large
Chair
A&FM Committee
Ken Hunkus 12
Safety in The Campus Community
LEGISLATION NO. SR-14-10-11
SPONSOR (S):
SUBJECT: TO RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND THE
UAPD AND SAFETY TASK FORCE FOR
ADVANCEMENTS IN SAFETY AND
SECURITY
SENATORS DONOFRIO, HUNKUS, CLEMONS,
th
DATE INTRODUCED: November 4 , 2010
A
RESOLUTION TO COMMEND THE UNIVERISTY OF AKRON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE
SAFETY TASK FORCE FOR DECREASING THE CRIME RATE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
AKRON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.
WHEREAS:
THE RATE OF CRIME ON CAMPUS AND IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY HAS
DECREASED SUBSTANTIALLY, AND;
WHEREAS:
THE POLICE OFFICERS OF THE UAPD HAVE EXHIBITED SELFLESS SERVICE IN
THE SAFEGUARDING OF THE STUDENT BODY AND THE CITY OF AKRON, AND;
WHEREAS:
THE EFFORTS AND COLLABORATION OF BOTH THE SAFETY TASK FORCE AND
THE UAPD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE GAINS.
BE IT RESOLVED: THAT THE ASSOCIATED STUDENT GOVERNMENT COMMENDS UAPD AND THE
SAFETY TASK FORCE FOR THEIR STRIDES IN MAKING THE UNIVERSITY OF
AKRON AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITY SAFER
, NOW THEREFORE BE
IT RESOLVED THAT ASSOCIATED STUDENT GOVERNMENT SENATE CONFIRMS SAID ADOPTION
OF THIS RESOLUTION BY A MAJORITY AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF SENATE AS A WHOLE .
ACTION TAKEN BY SENATE:
SENATE CHAIR
SIGNATURE DATE
ASG PRESIDENT
SIGNATURE DATE
ASSOCIATE VP & DEAN OF STUDENTS
SIGNATURE DATE
VP FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS
SIGNATURE DATE
Ken Hunkus 13
Safety in The Campus Community
Part II: Identifying Areas of Concern
In mid spring semester, we sought to address another concern commonly brought
up by students: Crime in the City of Akron. As discussed previously, crime was a major
concern for students, and after analyzing the data the trends were not at all reassuring:
Thousands of students live within the city limits where the odds of becoming a victim of
violent crime are considerably higher than the national average, as displayed in the
following:
(Figure 8: Violent Crime Occurrences in America – Uniform Crime
Reports)
Ken Hunkus 14
Safety in The Campus Community
(Figure 9: Violent Crime Trends in Akron)
These numbers told us very little new information than what we already knew but served
as a building block in determining the angle at which we would attack the issue: Could we
identify anything about the City of Akron‘s strategy for combating crime that wasn‘t proving
affective, and could we possibly identify methods worth sustaining? And if so, what could we do
about them?
The first question we had in determining the current state of affairs in Akron was: How
many personnel did the City of Akron employ for law enforcement? As noted above, we were
concerned about the recent headlines involving police employment in the City of Akron. A few
phone calls to the City of Akron Police Department would prove highly beneficial to this
question. The results are noted in figure 4. Again, from 2007-2009, the police department‘s
officers had dropped by sixteen. More concerning, however, was the fact that over the period
from 2009-2011, the numbers had dropped again by thirty-three. As the crime rate was
Ken Hunkus 15
Safety in The Campus Community
continuing its trend upward, initial sentiments were that this drop in officer employment
throughout the city was not going to be helping to curb crime.
This led us to discuss whether or not a relationship could truly be suggested between the
number of police officers a city employed and crime rates in that city. Through research we
discovered that the jury was still out on this subject in the field of criminal justice, but we were
able to find several promising studies including Klick and Tabbarok‘s: Using Terror Alert
Levels to Estimate the Effect of Police on Crime. In this study, a positive correlation was proven
between police officer presence and reduction of common street crimes in the Washington D.C.
area. The researchers measured crime reports during times of high terror alerts (times when
police presence was multiplied) versus low terror alerts. Critics of the study cited the controlled
criminal climate of the D.C. area, possibilities of higher crime report rates on higher terror alert
level days, and also variables including a high density of tourism and the resulting tourist-target
populations, but Klick and Tabbarok maintain their methods are valid and applicable anywhere
(2005).
`
The results of their study suggest that presence is a necessary factor in deterrence of
crime, especially in the case of street crimes (non-violent crime). But as figure 11 indicates,
property crime has steadily fallen from 2005-2009. The national trend (figure 10) indicates a
slightly faster decline, but Akron‘s numbers also indicate a drop.
Ken Hunkus 16
Safety in The Campus Community
(Figure 10: National Property Crime Statistics – FBI Uniform Crime Reports 2005-2009)
(Figure 11: Akron Property Crime Statistics- FBI Uniform Crime Reports)
Ken Hunkus 17
Safety in The Campus Community
How is Akron maintaining and possibly seeing a further decrease in property crime from 20092011? Using the concept from the Klick and Tabbarok study, we believe Akron may have found
a way to deter crime beyond hiring more police officers: The Downtown Akron Partnership
Safety Ambassadors. The Downtown Akron Partnership is a publicly funded organization aiming
to ―promote and build a vibrant and valuable Downtown.‖ (DAP, 2010) Safety and cleanliness
play a major role in developing value and attracting businesses and consumers to the City, so
their initiatives to bring both to Downtown Akron have likely played a role in the recent
successes in security. In 2009, the DAP funded the establishment and sustainment of nine Safety
Ambassadors: unarmed, bicycle mounted patrollers wearing a signature fluorescent green coat.
These individuals routinely aid visitors in city navigation, provide safety escort services, provide
cleaning services, and among other things act as deterrents to would-be criminals.(DAP, 2010)
They communicate with each other and act as first responders in the event of accidents and are
trained in CPR, conflict management, and customer relations. A snapshot of their average
performance can be seen from just one month‘s statistics:
(Figure 12: DAP Safety Ambassador Statistics, September 2010)
CLEAN & SAFE STATISTICS SEPTEMBER 2010
General
Pedestrian Assistance
Property Owner/Building Manager Contact
Metro Questions/Assistance
Jump Starts
Lockout Assists
Environmental Maintenance
874
208
48
9
22
Safety
Motorist Assistance
Hospitality Assistance
Passive Panhandling
Aggressive Panhandling
Request for Police/EMT Assistance
Bike Miles Ridden
Escorts
Metro Escorts
Visible Deterrents
Trash (lbs)
Graffiti - Removed
Graffiti - Forwarded for Action
Property Reports Forwarded
Green Machine Hours
Weeds Removed (Block Faces)
31
1614
50
3
5
1159
16
2
688
Power Washing (gallons)
Power Washing (block faces)
Power Washing (hours)
Bus Stops Cleaned
3934
78
2
4
223
11
5600
7
43
281
Ken Hunkus 18
Safety in The Campus Community
Having noted the probable effectiveness and efficiency of the DAP‘s program and our
budgetary concerns (as highlighted in figure 5) we set out to send a message to the City of
Akron. As mentioned previously, thousands of students of The University live in the City and as
the voice of the student body, Associated Student Government occasionally reaches beyond the
University to stand for students. We drafted a resolution to send our concerns to the City about
crime rates and their efforts to protect our tax-paying student residents living in the campus
community. With this piece, our goal was to slowly re-open the dialogue between the students
and the city. Senate Resolution 28-10-11 is shown on the next page. The resolution passed
unanimously in Senate on April 7th, 2011.
Ken Hunkus 19
Safety in The Campus Community
Rationale for SENATE RESOLUTION 28-10-11
Senators,
The figures are startling: The City of Akron continually ranks poorly in national studies
on crime statistics. Independent reports rank Akron in the bottom 8% in America[1]. Even as
Akron‘s population decreases, crime rates continue to rise. In the following presentation, you
will see graphical representations of the numbers uncovered by The Academic and Financial
Management Committee in our search to understand the complex crime trends our beloved
Akron faces. This pursuit came to fruition in response to the safety issues our students face while
residing within the City of Akron but has sparked a more in-depth analysis of both the situation
and possible solutions.
Accompanying this presentation is a resolution that, with your support, will encourage
the City of Akron to reconsider the pressure it places on Law Enforcement and Safety
departments when the budget is low. We are not demanding the City do anything specific- That
is far beyond our scope or authority as Student Government. What our resolution will do,
however, is raise awareness and bring to the attention of our City one of our primary concerns,
the safety of The University of Akron student population. With the passing of this resolution, we
encourage the President of Associated Student Government to draft a letter as his Office sees fit
outlining the contents of the resolution and our concerns to the leaders of Akron.
Presented with the information we uncovered, we drew identical, strong conclusions. We
hope that upon your review of the information we will present today, you will draw the same
conclusions and support our second step in addressing safety in the City of Akron and University
of Akron campus community.
_________________________
Kenneth Hunkus
2 Year Senator-At-Large
Chairman
Academic and Financial
Management Committee
_________________________
Dominic Donofrio
College of Business Senator
Vice Chairman
Academic and Financial
Management Committee
[1] Neighborhood Scout Report, Accessed 26 March 2011
Ken Hunkus 20
Safety in The Campus Community
ASG LEGISLATIVE FORM
LEGISLATION NO. SR-28-10-11
SPONSOR (S):
SUBJECT: City of Akron Public Safety Funding
SENATORS DONOFRIO, HUNKUS
DATE INTRODUCED: 03-31-2011
A
RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THAT THE CITY OF AKRON RECONSIDER ITS STANCE ON
BUDGETARY ISSUES AND CITY OF AKRON SAFETY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT;
WHEREAS: THE CITY OF AKRON ROUTINELY CONSIDERS TERMINATION OF CITY OF AKRON
POLICE OFFICERS DUE TO BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, AND
WHEREAS: THE CITY OF AKRON HAS A DUTY TO ITS CITIZENS TO PROVIDE SECURITY AND
SAFETY, AND
WHEREAS:
THE CONCERN FOR VIOLENT AND PROPERTY CRIME HAS RISEN IN THE CAMPUS
COMMUNITY INCREASINGLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE FALL 2010 SEMESTER
AND SPRING 2011 SEMESTER, AND
WHEREAS: THIS TREND IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY BUT REPRESENTS A
BROADER ISSUE W ITHIN THE CITY AS A W HOLE.
BE IT RESOLVED: THAT THE ASSOCIATED STUDE NT GOVERNMENT REQUES TS THE CITY OF
AKRON CONSIDER SHIFTING BUDGETARY PRESSURE FROM THE AKRON
POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS TO
OTHER REASONABLE OUTLETS AS THE CITY SEES FIT.
, NOW THEREFORE BE
IT RESOLVED THAT ASSOCIATED STUDENT GOVERNMENT SENATE CONFIRMS SAID ADOPTION
OF THIS RESOLUTION BY A MAJORITY AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF SENATE AS A WHOLE .
ACTION TAKEN BY SENATE:
SENATE CHAIR
SIGNATURE DATE
ASG PRESIDENT
SIGNATURE DATE
ASSOCIATE VP & DEAN OF STUDENTS
SIGNATURE DATE
Ken Hunkus 21
Safety in The Campus Community
VP FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS
SIGNATURE DATE
Part III: Plausible Methods of Securing The University Park
With our second piece of legislation passed addressing concerns about The City of
Akron‘s law enforcement, it was time to focus on what we could recommend for the University
of Akron. With budget-cuts in mind, what could our University do to further secure the campus
and extend that security influence further into the campus community?
As noted previously, college campuses and campus communities present numerous
challenges in security given their common relationships with surrounding and often integrated
urban communities. Large amounts of student and non-student traffic throughout the days and
nights make for a challenge few campus law enforcement agencies are capable of handling
alone. Many institutions utilize multi-tier approaches including some of the goals the Safety Task
Force had highlighted for our own campus. For instance, The University of Pennsylvania‘s
security measures include an extensive monitored surveillance camera network (dubbed CAD or
‗Computer Aided Dispatch‘), police and security presence on bicycles and foot, and a traditional
police force. (UP,2010) The University of Pennsylvania is a school similar to The University of
Akron: Approximately 25,000 students attend classes at the main campus in the heart of a major
city. Major differences, however, lay in the size of the cities: Philadelphia has approximately 1.5
million residents to Akron‘s 200,000. (FBI, 2009) Yet, even with the considerable size disparity,
the universities face similar challenges in securing their campuses against threats from the
surrounding populations. The challenge lays in finding a common, effective, and affordable
methodology.
With an understanding that deterrence is key, and evidence in its effectiveness from
multiple sources, I began researching what possibilities the University may be able to provide.
Ken Hunkus 22
Safety in The Campus Community
Right away I recognized a feature ASG‘s Safety Walks often touch on: The availability of
emergency/blue light phones. For the past two years, our organization has made monthly trips
around our campus to look for exploitable maintenance issues and write up suggestions for new
lighting and safety concerns. Through several resolutions of the past, we were able to have input
in the addition of several safety phones and also have lighting installed and updated in dark areas
of campus. We have also made suggestions for additions of emergency phones and had several
granted. At last count our University had over 230 safety phones capable of connecting callers
immediately with the UAPD. Once activated, an officer is dispatched to the location of the
beacon to assist the caller. They are located throughout campus including inside parking garages
and elevators, along campus walk-ways, and around the border of the campus (University of
Akron, 2010).
This method is employed throughout the country at other universities, and while few
reports exist indicating that the safety lights directly affect crime, their deterrence ability is
widely accepted. (Colombo, 2011) Clearly a cost effective method of deterrence exists in this, I
was convinced, and if we could place these emergency phones into the community, we would
make an impact on crime by arming students with increased law enforcement contact ability. If
we extended these phones in conjunction with the brighter lighting for the streets and sidewalks,
we may be able to mimic the results already noted on campus in the off-campus community.
A second possibility for security could be found in what we had previously established as
effective for the city: A Safety Ambassador Program for the community surrounding campus.
But would the DAP be willing to extend their brand, and what costs would accompany them?
Ken Hunkus 23
Safety in The Campus Community
With implementation of those two pieces somewhat reasonably classified as near-term
goals, one goal for the long-term could be increasing police presence and patrols- but how, and
better yet who would be able to do this? Increasing police presence could mean having the
officer-power to operate a camera-monitoring station and place officers in the community at the
same time.
After doing further research, I was directed by co-workers to contact Mr. Eric Green of
the Department of Off-Campus Student Services. Mr. Green sat on the Safety Task Force and
had a wealth of knowledge on possible safety initiatives for us to pursue. I met with him and
described some of the concepts ASG had considered and was pleased to learn he had been
working on similar concepts for the University Park, an area to the south of Exchange Street on
the southern edge of campus. Shown on the following map is a portion of the area that our final
resolution, SR 30-10-11 suggests be considered for an area of study and initial focus:
(Map from Google Maps)
Ken Hunkus 24
Safety in The Campus Community
We determined this area to be a good focus for our proposals because of several factors
including the fact that over 4,000 (though some estimate as high as 7,000) students are believed
to live in this area or close-by (E. Green, personal communication, April 14, 2011). Also
considered was the elevated crime against students in this area including several armed robberies
(UA Safety Alert, 2011).
We began by discussing the possibility of extending the safety net of blue
light/emergency phones into the neighborhood. Centrally located in our target area is Sumner
Street, a densely student- populated area consisting mainly of rental houses and apartments, and
we discussed the viability of adding these lights and emergency phones in the area.
Corresponding to our target area is the University‘s Roo Express South Route, a shuttle service
with a path cutting into the neighborhood as shown below:
(University Park South Route as shown on the University of Akron website)
Ken Hunkus 25
Safety in The Campus Community
This route presents several challenges: Students waiting for the bus are easy victims, and
students exiting the bus are also prone to ambush.
According to Mr. Green, they were in progress of requesting grants for the installation of
at least six new emergency phones at locations focused around the Roo Express route. While this
plan accomplishes our proposal, also of concern is the need for additional lighting in the
neighborhood, something the University considers a high priority for its campus. The University
Park Alliance, a nonprofit collaboration of businesses and investors with interest in the this area,
may see an opportunity to grow and develop the nighborhood. According to their website, their
mission “is to revitalize and transform the diverse University Park neighborhood, a 50-block
area immediately surrounding The University of Akron, through engaging the community and
leveraging real estate & business investment.”(UPA, 2011) An intiative to enhance lighting in
front yards may be a project that could be supported by the UPA. This concept gave rise to the
idea of a ‗Safety Corridor,‘ the combination of lighting and emergency phones implemented to
enhance detterence for residents of the University Park.
Mr. Green was able to confirm that the Safety Ambassadors from the DAP would not be
extended into The University Park but the Safety Task Force was considering creating its own
Safety Ambassador program. According to Mr. Green, costs to implement a program capable of
serving approximately half of the highlighted community were estimated at around $270,000.
This cost would provide for six full-time employees, one part-time employee, and several
bicycles and radios. (E. Green, personal communication, April 20 th, 2011)
The cost, we agreed, is one of the more reasonable options. The hours invested in on-theground deterrence would be high, especially in comparison with the costs of expanding our
Ken Hunkus 26
Safety in The Campus Community
police force: Officer salaries in 2008 ranged from $44,969 to $52,520. (AkronCops, 2008)
Adding to this are the cost and expenses for equipment and vehicles, facilities, and maintenance.
At this estimate, approximately four full-time officers could potentially be added to the Police
force of the University or City, but as highlighted before, their deterrence ability would likely not
prove as powerful as six full-time foot and bicycle patrol personnel.
Noting both of these short term proposals, we decided to pursue one of our previously
considered and long term goals: The concept of a police-substation or independent force for the
UPA. Under the leadership of a student Senator, Mr. Jaime Neufer, Associated Student
Government had passed a resolution several years before highlighting crime South of Exchange
and recommending a police sub-station. I had signed on as a sponsor when it was initially
proposed, but had not seen any follow up on the piece since its vote. Originally highlighted in
our legislation was a concern about the cost and who should sponsor it- but as a resolution, the
recommendation stood as an open suggestion to the University.
The University must have been like-minded when they moved in the direction of a substation just this past academic year. They established the Community and Housing Oriented
Policing (CHOP) Unit at Gallucci Residence Hall. Situated at the edge of our targeted area, this
force works to respond to crime in the residence halls and provide presence near the campus and
campus community. ( UA Services, 2011)
While this move aids in securing campus housing and some portions of the University
property, this does not act to further influence crime in the area as the CHOP unit‘s range is
limited by officer-power.
Ken Hunkus 27
Safety in The Campus Community
What we suggest (as noted in the final resolution) is a separate police force for the
University Park Area. This suggestion is the least specific of our proposals because we feel it
should be open for interpretation and manipulation. Having highlighted the lack of the City of
Akron‘s ability to secure neighborhoods in the immediate area, we feel that it would be in the
University Park Alliance‘s best interest and scope to invest in their community. With possible
support from the University (which does have some stake in the safety, security, and value of the
surrounding community,) major improvements and development in the University Park could
take place in the next five years. Our final piece, SR-30-10-11, is found on the next pages:
Ken Hunkus 28
Safety in The Campus Community
Rationale for SENATE RESOLUTION 30-10-11
Senators,
Over the course of the past two semesters, members of The Academic and Financial
Management Committee have researched the issues of crime on campus and in the campus
community. Over the same period of time, we have issued multiple reports and, with your
support, produced and passed resolutions dealing with both crime on campus and in the City of
Akron. Today, as a result of our research and previous stances, we ask you to consider our
recommendations to the Safety Task Force: A Safety Corridor proposed for Sumner Street, the
expansion of the City of Akron‘s Safety Ambassador Program into the neighborhood south of
Exchange Street, and the creation of a new police force or substation to serve the community
south of Exchange Street.
In the presentation following the first reading of our resolution, we will explain our
research and reasoning behind our suggestions. Then we will field your questions.
The Committee recognizes that some of these recommendations may already be in
progress under the guide of the Safety Task Force. For these instances, this resolution will only
serve to provide support from the Student Body in the pursuit of these initiatives.
If this resolution passes, the President will be asked to deliver our message to The Safety
Task Force. We believe that this service to the students is long overdue, and ask for your support
in our efforts to find solutions to the problems our students face.
Thank you,
_________________________
Kenneth Hunkus
2 Year Senator-At-Large
Chairman
Academic and Financial
Management Committee
_________________________
Dominic Donofrio
College of Business Senator
Vice Chairman
Academic and Financial
Management Committee
_________________________
Anthony Stratis
College of Nursing Senator
Academic and Financial
Management Committee
_________________________
Lauren Brown
Honors College Senator
Academic and Financial
Management Committee
Ken Hunkus 29
Safety in The Campus Community
ASG LEGISLATIVE FORM
LEGISLATION NO. SR-30-10-11
SPONSOR (S):
SUBJECT: AKRON SAFETY INITIATIVE PROPOSAL
SENATORS HUNKUS, DONOFRIO, STRATIS, BROWN
DATE INTRODUCED: 04-21-11
A
RESOLUTION TO RECOMMEND THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON, UNIVERSITY OF AKRON
POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE UNIVERSITY PARK ALLIANCE PURSUE THE ADOPTION
OF THE FOLLOWING SAFETY MEASURES IN THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY SOUTH OF
EXCHANGE STREET: A SAFETY CORRIDOR, EXTENSION OF THE SAFETY AMBASSADOR
PROGRAM, AND CREATION OF A NEW POLICE FORCE OR SUBSTATION;
WHEREAS: THE ASSOCIATED STU DENT GOVERNMENT HAS EXTENSIVELY RESEARCHED SAFETY
CONCERNS ON CAMPUS AND IN THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY, AND
WHEREAS: THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH IND ICATE A NEED FOR HEIGHTENED SECURITY
FOR STUDENTS IN THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY, AN D
WHEREAS: THE NEIGHBORHOOD SOU TH OF EXCHANGE STREE T IS DENSELY POPULATED W ITH
STUDENTS AND HAS EXPERIENCED HEIGHTENED CRIME ACTIVITY, AND
WHEREAS: THE ATTACHE D PROPOSALS W OULD SIGNIFICANTLY AID IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
EFFORTS EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY,
BE
IT
RESOLVED:
THAT
THE
CONCERNS
ASSOCIATE D
OF
AFOREMENTIONED
THE
STUDENT
STUDENT
SOLUTIONS
BE
GOVERNMENT
BODY
AND
CONSIDERED
RECOGNIZES
RECOMMENDS
IN
THE
THE
THE
OVERALL
STRATEGY OF SAFETY A T AND AROUND THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON.
, NOW THEREFORE BE
IT RESOLVED THAT ASSOCIATED STUDENT GOVERNMENT SENATE CONFIRMS SAID ADOPTION
OF THIS RESOLUTION BY A MAJORITY AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF SENATE AS A WHOLE .
ACTION TAKEN BY SENATE:
SENATE CHAIR
SIGNATURE DATE
ASG PRESIDENT
SIGNATURE DATE
ASSOCIATE VP & DEAN OF STUDENTS
SIGNATURE DATE
VP FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS
SIGNATURE DATE
Ken Hunkus 30
Safety in The Campus Community
Future Research and Follow-Up
Having completed this report, it is my hope that the Associated Student Government will
act to continue tracking the data and statistics as they come forth each fall. This paper will serve
as a guide to any future Senator wanting to understand the processes involved with research and
proposals for campus and campus community concerns.
A common issue with Associated Student Government‘s ability to follow-up on
proposals and projects stems from high turnover in the organization. Likewise, I graduate this
semester and will not be in the state for some time after, so it is imperative that we are able to
identify a follow-up plan on our work for future leaders. In order to establish future research and
a directory for past knowledge, I have developed a project binder and a digital file with
recommendations and sources for future statistics including:
1. How to use the FBIs Uniform Crime Reports
2. Dates of Clery Act data releases
3. Phone numbers for UAPD and APD Statistics and Directories
4. Expectations for Future Trends
5. Contact information for the author and cited individuals
These pieces will be left with the Chair of the Facilities and Services Committee to be
used as a tool for projects in the coming semester. With this measure in place, student leaders
should have no lack inspiration or resources for gathering crime statistic data and building
reports.
Ken Hunkus 31
Safety in The Campus Community
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Ken Hunkus 32
Safety in The Campus Community
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Ken Hunkus 33
Safety in The Campus Community
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