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With so many wonderful and exciting things going on around campus, it is rather distressing to talk about crime. However, because of recent incidents that have occurred on and off our campus and other campuses in our area, it is important to get the word out about the crimes so that we might become a safer campus.
The recent homicides at University of Maryland College Park and Delaware State shock us, once again, into realizing that college campuses are not immune from these heinous crimes.
In our own area, we have seen two recent robberies—one at St. Martin Hall and one at Seagull Village located a mile from campus. In the St. Martin Hall incident, the suspects were armed with baseball bats and at Seagull Village they were armed with handguns. The weapons were displayed in a threatening manner. A robbery is a crime against persons and is dangerous due to the potential harm that can come to the victim. Your best course of action may be to not resist, give up your property and then call the police.
Another series of crimes that have been committed are wallet thefts from offices/rooms. Simply keeping your wallet with you or locking it up easily prevents wallet thefts. Keep offices and rooms locked. These thefts are a crime against property and an inconvenience for the victim; however, the victim is not present during the commission of the crime.
We needn’t be overly frightened by these events to the extent that we are no longer able to function, but we must take steps to lessen our chances of being victimized in the future. Our vulnerability to these crimes can be reduced if we all work together as a community to reduce our risks.
It is imperative that resident students keep their room doors locked at all times. Do not let unauthorized people in your residence hall, your room or allow people to loiter in the area. Report any suspicious persons or activity to the University Police. If you are a victim, report the crime immediately to the University Police.
The University Police are on alert due to these incidents. We will respond quickly to calls for assistance. We will conduct thorough and complete initial investigations and follow up all leads. If suspects are identified, we will pursue arrests and criminal prosecution.
If you have any information about these incidents, please call the University Police @ 410-543-6222 or use Silent Witness from our web page, www.salisbury.edu/police.
With your help, we will continue to make Salisbury University as safe and as free from crime as possible.
Jim Phillips
Chief-University Police
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