In response to a recent spree of on-campus crime, the LSU Police Department reallocated resources to create a crime interdiction team Maj. Lawrence Rabalais, LSUPD spokesman, said four police officers comprise the crime interdiction team and have been patrolling the campus area in marked police cars during the early-morning hours since Feb. 16 to reduce on-campus crime. “Typically, they are looking for some type of probable cause to stop these vehicles or these persons walking through [campus],” Rabalais said. “Officers identify them and find out what they’re doing on campus if they are not students, staff or faculty.” Rabalais said at least some of the seven simple possession of marijuana arrests and five DWI-related arrests that occurred during the past week may be attributed to the crime interdiction team’s presence. Rabalais said he could not disclose when the team patrols because it could interfere with its efforts. “This is the first time we’ve had any crime interdiction teams such as this that are in full uniform and marked police cars,” Rabalais said. Rabalais said most on-campus crimes are committed by people who are not part of the University community. The four officers on the team were specifically reassigned to serve on the team and were taken off their normal call rotation to focus on the team, Rabalais said. “When you take them off of the call rotation of answering calls and all they have to do is look for this suspicious-type activity and react upon it, then your arrests are going to go up, and we should see a huge result,” Rabalais said. Rabalais said the team’s creation was discussed between himself, LSUPD Interim Chief of Police Gary Durham and several patrol captains to ensure its efficiency. The team was created on a trial basis, and if results are favorable, Rabalais said the team will be kept as a permanent unit. Rabalais said the team’s creation is an additional precaution to night patrols at the on-campus Edward Gay and Nicholson apartments added since the Dec. 13 murders of two doctoral students. Since the Dec. 13 double homicide, three separate armed-robbery incidents have occurred on campus. Police have not caught suspects in the double homicide or in two of the armed robberies. “We’re going to try everything possible to get a handle on this situation,” Rabalais said.
—-Contact Nicholas Persac at [email protected]