Although the University’s Annual Security and Fire Report showed no major increase in any particular area of crime in 2012, the Louisiana State University Police Department received almost 19,000 calls for service, much more than the typical 13,000 to 15,000 calls a year.
LSUPD spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde said it is likely that the increase in calls for the 2012 year is because of the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign that was launched in 2011.
Lalonde said the calls for service include everything from medical assistance to actual crimes commited or suspicious persons.
Calls for service do not always lead to arrests, he said.
He believes that the increase in calls is likely due to more reports of suspicious persons on campus.
Although there were not many more arrests made, the increased calls for service have allowed LSUPD to know more about the activity happening on campus, Lalonde said.
Lalonde said the increased calls lead to an increased police presence on campus which acts as a deterrent for would-be criminals.
He said that in addition to the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign, LSUPD has also implemented the “Adopt-a-Hall” campaign, in which officers
volunteer to engage with students in the residence halls in order to have students and faculty create relationships with officers and involve the community in policing.
While the department has taken efforts to engage the University community, majority of the crime on campus is committed by people unaffiliated with the University.
Most of the arrests made on campus, particularly those involving more serious crimes, are people that come from off campus to commit crime, Lalonde said.
However, Lalonde believes that the increase in calls will deter these criminals from coming on campus to commit crimes.
“One crime is too many,” Lalonde said.
LSUPD’s increased presence could also be a factor in deterring crime.
At the beginning of the year, LSUPD officers switched from eight-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts, Lalonde said.
The change in hours is a more effective use of manpower and allows for a more visible police presence with more officers on the road at any particular time, Lalonde said.
Lalonde said he is not sure how the newly implemented campaigns and change in hours will affect crime statistics for next year, but he is optimistic aobut a gradual change in crime.
“We’ll just have to wait and see how the numbers show up for 2014, but there’s not much we can do that will change things overnight,” he said.
The LSU police department is testing new equipment which automatically scans and pulls up data on nearby license plates.
