University of Wisconsin’s student government hosted a Campus Safety Forum Wednesday night with representatives from local police departments and city officials in order to address student concerns with crime and safety on campus.
Associated Students of Madison University Affairs Committee hosted members of the UW Police Department and Madison Police Department, who answered questions concerning student safety across campus.
Students addressed issues of how to stay safe on campus and asked the panel about the plans for new security cameras to be placed near the university.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said city officials proposed an amendment to add $100,000 to the city budget in order to double the number of city cameras trained on public streets and sidewalks in the downtown area.
According to Verveer, the majority of these cameras would be placed on State Street and University Avenue. He said these cameras would allow police departments to use video evidence when investigating and making arrests for serious crimes in the downtown area.
Verveer said the success of these cameras could be seen in the aftermath of the shooting in front of Johnny O’s last spring. Because of video surveillance, suspects were identified, arrested and charged, he said.
MPD Lt. Kristen Roman said cameras will be placed in areas known to see higher instances of crime and also in areas that maybe are not as well lit or well protected as they could be.
Still, UWPD Officer Michael Eckhardt urged students should walk in groups late at night, use well-lit walkways and always be aware of their surroundings, adding that victims are often alone in the dark.
“We have seen in terms of the students that have been victimized on or near campus that a lot of times it is late at night, and there are alcohol or drugs involved, and these attacks happen while victims are by themselves,” Eckhardt said.
In addition, Eckhardt suggested students walking home alone should utilize the SAFE nighttime services available to students such as SafeWalk and SafeBus services.
In an effort to spread the word about campus safety, UWPD Lt. Mark Silbernagel said police are working to keep new students informed through speakers at SOAR and campus-wide emails. Police officers have also been assigned to specific residence halls on campus, Silbernagel said.
Eckhardt added UWPD is also working with student groups on campus and using social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to keep people informed.
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said UWPD’s use of Twitter has significantly helped keep campus informed of crimes and potential dangers.
“The messaging between the police department and the student body, it’s really one of the quintessential things that makes this university very unique,” Resnick said.
Roman also confirmed the campus-wide efforts made by the city police work closely to keep students informed and safe.
UWPD, MPD and city alders encouraged students to keep providing feedback on their safety concerns.
