Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Safety Ambassadors deal with safety concerns CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 what the pulse of the campus is.” One example is the recent shooting in Five Points. “We make an effort to be straight-shooters,” Winn said. “The shooting that happened re cently — we weren’t putting The Gamecock in their face. We tried to avoid areas we knew The Gamecock could be found. If they ask, the info is there and we’D get [them] in touch with [that infor mation], but it’s not our job to give a recap iff the incidents that hap pen on campus.” One of the measures laid out in the 1990 Student Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act provides crime statistics for the public. When asked for statistics, Well man usually refers questions to the university’s Web site. “An isolated incident is not the norm on our campus, but we don’t shy away from it. That’s why we don’t quote a lot of stats,” Wellman said. “They sound a little confus ing and sound defensive. You feel as though you have to defend your position. I tend not to share stats for that very reason. Stats are here today and change tomorrow.” When the safety questions come, Wellman is confident in the security found in the Carolina community. “The most important message is that we are a community, and there are certain responsibilities that go along with that,” Wellman said. “We want to attract students that can give as well as take. We . want the students to take care of each other,” Wellman said. “We certainly hope and pray that some thing like that doesn’t happen again, but all I can do is to prepare folks to take care of themselves. It takes everybody working togeth er to make that happen.” USC Crime Statistics CRIMES AGAINST PERSON 1999 2000 Hate Crimes 0 0 Murder 0 0 Rape 4 2 Forcible Sex Offense (Not Rape) 0 3 Robbery (Total) 6 3 Armed Robbery 2 2 Strong-Arm Robbery 4 1 Assault (Total) 35 50 Simple Assault 33 46 Aggravated Assault 2 4 Total 45 58 CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY Breaking/Entering 27 26 Larceny/Tfieft 254 634 Motor Vehicle Theft 25 29 . Arson 1 3 Total 307 692 SELECTED ARREST OFFENSES Liquor Law Arrests 27 14 Drug Law Arrests 30 68 Weapon Law Arrests 0 9 Source: USG Division of Law Enforcement and Safety Safety Tips 1. IF YOU FIND YOUR RESIDENCE DOOR OPEN, REPORT IT TO YOUR RA IMMEDIATELY. This is a serious issue. Residents can remember locking their door and later coming back to find it unlocked or their room occupied. 2. MARK AND INITIAL ALL PERSONAL ITEMS. This will make it easier to identify your personal belongings in case they are misplaced or stolen. 3. KEEP YOUR ID ON YOU AT ALL TIMES. This can help you identify other USC students and recognize non-USC people trying to blend in. 4. REPORT ANY STRANGERS TO YOUR RA IMMEDIATELY. 5. DON’T DRINK FROM STRANGE CONTAINERS OR CONTAINERS THAT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN TAMPERED WITH. 6. NEVER ACCEPT RIDES FROM STRANGERS. It might be a long walk, but you will be safer. 7. USEAPO ESCORT SERVICE ANY TIME AFTER DARK. It'^ ffPP Qfl I ISP it 8. REPORT ANY ITEMS MISSING FROM YOUR RESIDENCE TO YOUR RA IMMEDIATELY. But, remember to check with your roommate first. Compiled by: Crystal L Smalls, The Gamecock Source: Sgt. Henry Garbade, Division of Law Enforcement and Safety City to weigh noise rules BY GREG HAMBRICK THE GAMECOCK City officials feel a proposed public nuisance ordinance ex pected to target offenses, such as loud music, out-of-control pets and trashy yards, will help stu dents. If passed, the ordinance will hold landlords accountable when tenants repeatedly break the law. City Council members expect to reveal the ordinance during ses sions Tuesday after review by city lawyers. “Most major problems are not students, but absentee landlords,” Mayor Bob Coble said, citing stu dents were not a major facet of the proposed ordinance. The mayor thinks the ordi nance will be an incentive to im prove neighborhoods and rental property. “If the city has a problem with a landlord, the students renting would probably have problems with the landlord as well,” Coble said, saying the ordinance was for rental property everywhere, not just near the campus. Several landlords remain con cerned about the proposal and point to the city as part of the prob lem, not the solution. “While we all want safer and better neighborhoods, the problem is police enforcement,” property owner Joe Rosen said. Rosen and others are also wor ried about how these new regula tions by the city may go against Fair Housing laws established by the federal government. “The only way to get people out is economics,” Rosen said, citing that he can’t deny renting to some one as long as they have the mon ey. Previous drafts of the ordi nance require two criminal con victions of a tenant within six months, or three in a year, before a landlord must take action against the tenant. If offenses led to eviction, Rosen said it could take up to 60 days be fore the eviction was carried out. It’s unclear what the city would do to a landlord if the offenses con tinued after that period. That is part of what concerns the property owners. “The city has yet to answer my questions,” Rosen said. Originally expected to include criminal and civil cases, city coun cil members recently decided it would be easier to track just civic court convictions. City Council will take written input for two weeks before sched uling a public hearing. 4 girls live with school president in R.l. house BY RICHARD LEWIS associated press NEWPORT, R.l. (AP)—The pres ident of Salve Regina University has come up with an unusual so lution to the school's housing crunch — she's invited four fresh men to bunk with her. The four women, who begin classes on Wednesday, will be liv ing in chambers of the president's house normally reserved for dis tinguished alumni and special guests. Housing officials at this 1,800-stu dent Roman Catholic school said they were left more than 20 beds shy, thanks to a record freshman class and more returning students than expected. They converted doubles into triples and remade student lounges into dorm rooms, but they still faced a shortage. Antone, 62, said she's excited about having some young blood around her home. 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