With the arrival of late night studying habits during finals week, the LSU Police Department encourages students not to be hesitant in calling the police if they’re safety seems threatened.
Because Middleton Library is open 24 hours a day during the week of finals, LSUPD Chief Lawrence Rabalais said there will be a uniformed officer added in the library for student security. The officer will add a physical presence, but campus patrols and bike police will also increase, Rabalais said.
Over the last three years, excluding 2013 because the year is not over, LSUPD has seen a slight decline in crime near the library during finals week said LSUPD spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde. This is partially because of the “See something, Say something” campaign LSUPD has developed, Lalonde said.
The campaign encourages students to report any behavior that seems unusual or potentially dangerous. Students can also anonymously report information on the LSUPD website.
“It is important for students, staff and faculty to diminish the opportunity for crime to be committed,” Rabalais said.
The officers on patrol will also talk to students on campus to make sure there has not been any suspicious activity, he said.
Though there have been armed robberies committed on campus in the past month, Rabalais said the majority of crime can be prevented.
According to Rabalais, most of the crime reported during finals week is property theft or damage. One of the easiest ways to prevent these types of crimes is not creating opportunities for crime to occur, he said. This means not leaving property such as laptops and backpacks unattended, even within the confines of the library.
Emergency call boxes are also attached to every residential hall on campus in the event someone’s phone is stolen, Rabalais said. However, few calls come in through the call boxes because of the advancement in technology. There have even been prank calls on the emergency lines, he said.
Sometimes students are afraid or feel it is unnecessary to call in something they see, but this is the best way to stay on top of a situation, Lalonde said. There have been thefts, for example, that could have been prevented by reporting suspicious behavior, she said.
One of the ways LSUPD is educating University students is by assigning officers to residential halls so the students can feel more comfortable calling the officer they see all the time in case a situation develops, Lalonde said.
Lalonde said even if nothing happens, it is safer to call than to wait until something serious happens.
“It is important for students, staff and faculty to diminish the opportunity for crime to be committed.”