With
campus safety now coming into question, six year EPCC chief of police,
J.R. Grijalva is working hard to ensure the safety of all the colleges’
students and their property. This year alone, there have already been
19 reported car thefts and vandalisms compared to 20 for the entirety
of 2005.
This
sudden increase in car vandalism is due, in most part, to a group
of three individuals who were apprehended and arrested earlier this
year at the Valle Verde campus.
“We had an employee that saw a couple of individuals walking
around the parking lot and became suspicious,” said Grijalva.
Grijalva and his staff later investigated the report, which resulted
in the aforementioned arrests. Since then, the numbers of crimes involving
vehicles have gone down significantly.
Crime statistics for 2006 show that between the months of January
and April, 14 vehicles were vandalized and one was stolen. This is
in comparison to five vandalisms from May to the present month.
Student
Alfonso Castillo approaches his vehicle after
evening classes at the Valle Verde campus.
Photo by Leslie Council
Grijalva
gives credit to the employee for bringing the incident to their attention.
“We ask students and faculty to report any suspicious activity,”
said Grijalva. “We depend on people to be our eyes and ears.”
EPCC has seen a record number of students enroll and as a result,
Grijalva and his staff have been spread thin. “There’s
no police department anywhere that’s adequately staffed. We
do the best we can with what we’ve got,” said Grijalva.
Although thefts and vandalisms occur at all EPCC campuses, VV has
the highest number of thefts.
“Anytime you have a large crowd, you’re going to have
more crime,” said Grijalva. Statistics for each individual campus
are not made readily available yet.
When asked what students can do to protect their vehicles, Grijalva
offered this advice. “Don’t leave valuable items in plain
view.” They attract attention and are easy pickings for burglars.
“We ask students to put all valuables under seats or in the
trunk.” Among the most commonly stolen items are books, car
stereos and cell phones.
Parking closer to campus also reduces, but does not eliminate, the
risk of theft. “Anywhere you park, your car is susceptible,”
said Grijalva. Investing in passive car alarms, or a device that incapacitates
steering are some of the best methods to deter theft and vandalism,
according to campus police.
“Wheel locks seem to be very effective,” said Grijalva.
Stereos with detachable faces are also recommended. The campus police
are also doing their part to reduce crimes involving vehicles by patrolling
constantly and maintaining high visibility.
EPCC student, Annette Mora, felt otherwise. “I see them around,
but I don’t know if they’re doing the right thing.”
In addition, campus police frequently monitor six cameras allocated
throughout the campus parking lots.
Despite the negative sentiment, Grijalva feels that he and his staff
are taking all the necessary precautions to deter car theft.
“We investigate as much as we can. We’ll take fingerprints
and do whatever else it is we can do.”
Still, some students feel that this is not the case. “I don’t
feel safe. I worry more about the tickets,” said Aldo Puentes,
a two-year EPCC student. However, as recent statistics indicate, crimes
involving vehicles are definitely on the decline and the facts simply
cannot be ignored.
Ultimately, Grijalva feels the first line of defense in deterring
theft is general public awareness stating, “Our biggest tool
is awareness. It is the key!”
To report a crime you may do so anonymously by calling campuses police
at 831-2200.
