Since Derrick Todd Lee was arrested, there has been a collective sigh of relief in the Baton Rouge area, but such a lax in personal caution is not advised by local law enforcement.
LSUPD Capt. Ricky Adams said it was natural for people to relax after Lee was arrested. Adams said fewer calls to police about suspicious behavior and more students jogging alone at night are signs of students acting less cautiously.
“I think as a society we have a tendency to relax when a high-profile problem is resolved,” Adams said. “People were vigilant and at such a high level of alertness for such a long time, and people naturally let down when the problem was over.”
Animal science senior Mary-Jane Hussey said she’s not as cautious since Lee was arrested.
“I run a lot more on the lake, even when it gets dark I feel safer now,” Hussey said. “I’m still aware of my surroundings, but as far as getting out of night classes, I’m not as nervous as before. Before the serial killer was caught, I made sure I was walking with someone especially at night.”
Adams said LSUPD tries to keep students cautious of their surroundings, especially at night.
“We see people jogging along, leaving cars unattended, not reporting suspicious activity like they did when the serial killer was out,” Adams said. “Our job is to constantly remind people to remain vigilant. Students should be locking doors and windows, reporting suspicious crimes, not jogging at dark hours.”
Adams said rape is not usually a problem on the LSU campus. In fact, there have been only two campus rapes reported since the 1999 school year.
“The most frequently reported crime is theft to unattended property,” Adams said.
Adams tells students to protect themselves from common crimes such as theft on campus. He suggests taking precautions such as locking dorm rooms when showering.
Adams said he encourages students to become active members of the LSU community and become familiar with campus crime trends.
Adams said LSUPD tries to help students prevent being in a position to be victims of crime. Adams recommended the Rape Aggression Defense program, which he calls “common sense approaches to avoid being a victim of crime.”
RAD advanced instructor Kathy Saichuk said the main emphasis of the RAD program is to keep students out of dangerous positions so they don’t have to use self-defense weapons, such as pepper spray. The 12-hour self-defense program stresses safety techniques.
Saichuk said RAD tries to help teach students to use their instincts more than defensive devises. She tells students to try to avoid situations where they will have to use defensive devices, but they don’t discourage them.
“Students should have a buddy system,” Saichuk said. “Increase awareness of surroundings from a personal standpoint at all times. Looking for good places to park, and utilizing campus police if you see anything suspicious.”