Trevine Lewis, a theater sophomore, was climbing the stairs to her friend’s Alaska Street apartment when a man approached her from behind and choked her. Lewis was alone, but fought back by scratching and kicking her attacker, as well as burning the man with a cigarette. The attacker continued to choke her until she blacked out. When she awoke, Lewis was lying on the ground and her purse was gone. Lewis filed a police report as soon as she found a phone. “I’ve called and they said it’s still under investigation,” she said. Since the incident three weeks ago, Lewis no longer walks alone late at night. She said people feel safe walking alone on campus, so they feel just as safe walking alone in apartment complexes. “People should be more cautious,” she said. Lewis’ encounter is part of a bigger issue that surrounds apartment complexes near LSU. Security measures and procedures vary with each apartment complex. Some complexes offer a combination of security gates and alarm systems while others rely on courtesy officers and panic buttons to protect their residents. Louis Lato, manager of the West Campus Apartments on West Chimes Street, has had a few experiences with theft. A burglar broke into Lato’s apartment and stole the keys to his truck in late March. The burglar used his truck’s alarm system to find the vehicle in the parking lot. Not long after Lato filed a police report, the Baton Rouge Police Department found his truck parked on campus. “I make sure I lock my doors and just kind of watch my surroundings and everything,” Lato said. Lato said the Baton Rouge Police Department has scheduled more patrols in the area since the incident. The West Campus Apartments on West Chimes Street do not offer a security gate or alarm systems, but the owner plans to install surveillance cameras in the parking lot to prevent auto theft. Beau Brown, manager of University Commons, said the majority of the theft reports in his complex come from residents who host parties and don’t pay attention to who enters their apartment. “About 75 percent of things that happen could have been avoided,” he said. Although University Commons does not have a security gate, the complex offers a security system, courtesy managers who patrol the complex, lighted walkways, doors equipped with deadbolts and peepholes as well as five panic buttons in each apartment, one in the entryway and one in each bedroom. “I’ve always had to tell people that the security measures are only as good as the people who use them,” Brown said. Marguerite Acosta, manager of Embassy Apartments, performs credit checks and contacts references of prospective residents as a security measure. Once a resident signs a lease with the complex, Acosta provides the resident with guidelines about alcohol consumption and a list of safety tips. In addition to these procedures, Acosta quizzes each resident about fire safety. “We try to instruct them on real life,” she said. Like many other apartment complexes, Embassy Apartments allows residents to install their own alarm systems. If an apartment key is lost or stolen, the lock is changed and the key is replaced free of charge. University House on Brightside relies on “controlled access security gates” to limit the traffic in to the apartment complex. The complex also offers an optional, audible alarm system which costs about $20 per month. Like Embassy Apartments, University House also provides new residents with a list of safety awareness suggestions, including locking doors, turning on alarms and being aware of one’s surroundings. “Those safety tips are given to them as part of their move-in package,” said Kim Hardcastle, public relations manager for University House. If an incident, such as theft or property damage occurs, University House manager Amy Ruth notifies residents through e-mail or the community’s newsletter. Security is on duty 24 hours at University Crescent. Manager Angie Martel said two on-call courtesy officers live in the apartment complex. The complex does not provide an alarm system, but residents are allowed to install their own security measures. . said safety precautions are stated in their lease.
Contact Angelle Barbazon at [email protected]