East Carolinian

Issue date: 11/13/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Jessi Braxton

Media Credit: Jessi Braxton

The Police Community Relations Committee held a community meeting last night at Mendenhall. The meeting was a crime forum to discuss personal safety issues and parking enforcement at ECU and surrounding areas.

The Student Government Association requested that the committee hold their monthly meeting on campus to give students easy access to this forum. Representatives from both the Greenville and ECU Police Departments, including Greenville Police Chief William Anderson, were on hand to give information on parking and safety issues.

Chief Anderson called the meeting "a joint effort between the city, East Carolina University, and especially the student government."

Greenville Mayor Pat Dunn, members of the Greenville City Council and ECU Student Government, as well as students and other community members attended the event.

Corey Barrett, Parking Enforcement Officer for the Greenville Police Department, addressed the recent changes in parking around campus.

According to Barrett, neighborhood associations around campus felt a need for the changes, and brought the issue to the city's attention. ECU's administration assured the Public Works Department that there were ample spaces on campus for student parking. After receiving assurance from the University regarding student parking, the city decided to make the changes.

The affected areas include Reade Circle to Elm St. and East 5th St. to the Tar River. No parking is allowed between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. without an A pass issued by the city. This is not the same pass issued by ECU Parking and Transportation. In order to obtain an A pass from the city, citizens must provide proof of residency in these areas. Cars parked without a permit are at risk of being towed.

The main issue of the night was personal safety. Sgt. Michael Staffelbach of the Greenville Police Department gave safety tips for community members, on and off campus. He named three key components of crime, desire, ability, and opportunity, and stressed the importance of the public's interest and involvement in their own safety.

"From a victim's standpoint, you can control a criminal's opportunity, " he said.

He addressed specific issues related to students, such as the upcoming holiday season. He advised that students take home valuables, such as laptops, ipods, and credit cards. Students were also advised to stop incoming mail, and to refrain from leaving messages on their doors or voicemails saying that they would be away.

Safety tips given to students, but often ignored, were also stressed, such as walking in groups, staying in well-lit areas, and being aware of one's surroundings.

Student Government Association Treasurer Guillaume Bagel said that the idea to bring the meeting to campus was about getting students involved with the community.

"It made it extremely convenient for students…it's very easy for students to get distracted and decide that it's too much and not come," he said.

Bagel and Student Government Secretary Beth Anne Koury stressed the importance of students getting involved to help promote safety. They said many students wait until something horrible affects them or someone they know before showing concern.

"That's what usually happens," said Koury. "After something happens people wake up and say, 'Oh, we care.'

She said students should be "proactive instead of reactive…instead of waiting for something to happen."

ECU graduate Christopher Tyson believes the views expressed by Bagel and Koury are accurate. Tyson, who graduated in December 2007, was the victim of an April shooting when a robber intruded on a gathering at a friend's apartment. The shooting left him paralyzed from the waist down. Tyson said he never thought about something like that happening to him.

"I just felt like if you weren't doing anything negative to put yourself in that situation that you would be ok," he said.

He said that now he is much more aware that "anything can happen, anywhere, to anyone, anytime."

Although he was not in what he felt was a vulnerable position at the time of the robbery, Tyson said it was important for students to follow safety advice and to avoid confrontation.

"If someone tries to rob you, go ahead and give it up and live to see another day."

In an effort to get students involved in campus issues, SGA is trying to have a greater presence on campus so that students get to know members and feel comfortable talking to them. They've started initiatives such as monthly Student Appreciation Days, on which they hand out free school supplies in an effort to reach out to students.

Bagel said that it was a message that student government would be reinforcing consistently.

"We're going to have to get repetitive with this," he said. "We have to be reminding students about those important things. It's going to get old, but eventually it'll stick and they'll get more involved."

The Police Community Relations committee serves as a liaison between the community and the police. Their mission includes advocating methods to improve relations between the community and the police, as well as informing the citizens about the state of relations between the community and the police department. They meet on the second Wednesday of each month, and meetings are open to the public. For more information about their mission or meetings, contact the Greenville Police Department at 252- 329-4317 or the City Clerks Office at 252- 329-4421.



This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com

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