October 13, 2000 The LION’s EYE Page 3 Campus crime on the rise By Mari Ostbye Staff Writer Every year during the fall semester, campus crime statistics are mailed to all students, faculty and staff, in a brochure titled “Policies, Safety, and You.” Listed among many safety tips, rules and regulations, are reported crimes that have taken place on our campus from 1996 to the present. For this year so far, according to the Penn State Delaware County Department of University Safety, Year 2000 Public Incident Log (see chart); there have been 33 reported crimes. Among these crimes are 11 thefts, ranging anywhere from textbooks being stolen from students car in the Main parking lot, to wallets stolen from unattended book bags, student robbing the vending machines, stealing Penn State Delaware County banners, and one of our staff member’s pants. Seven auto accidents have been reported so far including striking the vehicle of a campus visitor (twice) and backing into light pole. But mostly it’s just students bumping into each other. Two people had to be taken to the hospital — one student was stung by a bee, another slipped and fell. One incident of property damage has been reported, this was a damaged plastic hockey goal. Two cases of solicitation included three non-students selling artwork to the staff and faculty members, and three males were stopped in the park- ing lot for placing business cards on parked vehicles. One fire took place when a univer- sity employee was operating a John Deere tractor and the equipment caught on fire. “Mostly I noticed the smell of the smoke,” said Charles Reed, a senior English major who witnessed the event. “I was surprised at how much fire and smoke came out of the tractor.” Lima Fire Company responded and extinguished the blaze. One University employee reported an irritating odor, apparently coming from the mechanical room area. Lima Fire Company, Delaware County Hazardous Materials Unit responded and evacuated the building. The odor turned out to be excessive biocide injected into the cooling tower water. Faculty and staff were allowed back in the building after clearance from the representative from DEPA. Two reports of vandalism included one person (unknown) forcefully removed a ladies room sign from the door, and an unknown object shattered the window of a student’s vehicle. So far, one reported disturbance; a female student became very loud and aggravated during registration because of a financial hold on her account. The numbers for 1999 were unavail- able at press time. However, those fig- Crime 10 — in 2000 (reported so far this year) ~ #0, 2% 2 2. 2% 2 % © 7 = 9 5 bY oe Oo, - Yu 9° eo 2 © 5% 2% 3 9 ® = SS Cd 2. 2% % %§ 2 we 5% § 2 ® oe % eo EA 7 3 2 2 32 o. tt ® on 7 — © (7) 2 ® Bs ® ©e (>) 2 ® ® © ures will be mailed to all students, staff, and faculty soon. In 1998, a total of 13 offences were reported, including nine thefts, two unlawful entries, one forcible entry, and one assault. In 1997, similar trends were noticed with a total of nine offenses, however the frequency of theft decreased from 12 incidences to four.’ One forgery/counterfeiting took place, one vandalism, one forcible entry, as well as two acts of drunkenness. In 1996, 20 crimes were reported, among them; one burglary, 12 thefts, one motor vehicle accident, one act of vandalism, and five other offenses. “It’s hard to compare the Delaware County campus to other campuses and Universities because we have no resi- dential halls”, said Dave Horevay, half of Delco’s own security force. Horevay said he believes because this is a commuter campus, we see less theft, and underage drinking. “We would most likely see more ~ criminal activity during the Christmas season, especially theft, because people need more money”, Horevay said. But it’s spring and fall semesters — compared to summer sessions — that are most active seasons for Horevay and John McKnight (the other half of Delco’s security team). When asked to give the students advice regarding their own security, Horevay said every crime or offence should be reported; if they are not, nothing can be done. “Keep everything in sight, have a friend watch your things if you can’t. Identify all your books and belongings, use your parking permit number or parts of your student number — some- thing you will recognize.” Horevay also recommended recording your identifi cation number or code more than once, especially in your books, on dif- ferent pages. The bottom line? Be aware of your surroundings at all times. For more information on crime statistics for this campus, or any other campus or university in the United States, log on to http://ope.ed.gov/security. Safety tips for students Many of you have been told “Never walk around at night alone.” “Always lock your car doors when you drive.” You may be sick of people telling you these things, but it’s all true. You may think you're safe, but here are just a few more tips to help you stay safe. If you're going on an outing 0 Always tell someone where you're going and how long you expect to be gone. U Wear some form of identifi- cation, or if that’s not possible write your name, phone number and blood type on the inside of your shoe. QO Don’t wear jewelry or carry cash 0 Use your keys as a ready-made weapon ... lace fin- gers through keys and prepare. Avoid Being Conned OQ Never offer any personal information over the phone. Credit card, or social security card numbers are what cons usually want. QO Shop around; check out all offers and demand written infor- mation about the offer. QU Visit www.fraud.org for cur- rent fraud alerts. Q If you are conned, report the incident to the police. Very few frauds are reported which allows the con artist to continue robbing others. QO Never order anything over the phone unless you initiate the call v If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Privacy QO Change any of your pass- words regularly Q Try not to write your pass- words down, but if you do, hide the. paper. QO Always attempt to cover up the keys at ATM’s when you're entering your pin number, this way no one can see your pin. QU Don’t stand and count your money at the ATM - especially if you're outside. U0 Remember your card at stores and ATM machines. Source: National Crime Prevention Council and the Lion’s Eye Staff Fun for free at Penn State Delco’s Family Day By Adam Wojciechowicz Staff Writer A free bar-b-que for students, faculty, friends, and family? Not a bad deal, eh? Perhaps all the people in your life are eager to meet each other for the first time. You'll have that opportunity and more Saturday as Penn State Delco holds its third annu- al Family Day. Set for noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 14, Family Day isn’t just for the ~ kids. Not by a long shot. There will be a free lunch for all and plenty of time to mingle in the fresh autumn air. The younger kids can partic- ipate at three arts and crafts stations, including ‘color me’ mugs, paper plate masks, and decorating pumpkin cookies. “The past two years, we have really only opened it to students, family and friends,” said Karl Grieb, Alumni and Public Relations Coordinator. But this year, Penn State Delco alumni are invited to make the campus family larger and more complete than ever, Grieb said. Grieb said he hopes this annual event can become “almost like a ‘homecoming’ type of event in the future.” ‘I'm hoping we can make things a little more interactive and enjoyable,” said Terri Goida, a returning adult student HDFS major and organizer of the event. Previous years have met with a good reception by partici- pants, but room for improve- ment has always been available. In fact, Goida is a new moth- er, and is concentrating her efforts this year on the activities for the younger visitors. Other student groups will be coordinating other activities including face painting, tempo- rary tattoos and designing pumpkins. Of interest to the group members, the HDFS Student Group, SGA, and THON will all be integrated into the day, which is being funded through voluntary donations from those who wish to help with the indi- vidual elements. There will also be a campus history tour and a panel discus- sion on the changing roles of parents when their children head off to college. This might be just what mom and dad need to give students a little more “space.” At 1 p.m., Penn State Delco’s soccer team will meet Penn State Mont Alto’s team on the field. Come and cheer on our local team. No advance notice is required to attend. So, please bring everyone who wants to get a better feel for the Penn State Delaware County community. Family Day is open to the public without charge.
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