The war on criminal behavior

As highlighted in Sara Murray's Sept. 21. article "Lesson in violence," it is no surprise the university leads the nation in violent crimes per capita.

It would be advantageous for the university to identify key stakeholders in furtherance of forming a commission to tackle the alarming incidence of violent crimes on the campus.

In the meantime, there are two "quick fix" methods the university could employ to help reduce the incidence of violent crimes, including:

1. A heavy-duty show of force during vulnerable times. Instead of having the Special Emergency Response Team bust up campus parties, perhaps it could be tactically deployed to "hot" crime generating areas, such as bus stops and isolated sections of the campus. Increasing the number of officers on bicycles during off-peak hours would also be significant in the war against violent crime, as bicycles allow for the penetration of areas inaccessible by radio cars.

SERT should also study the daily tactical deployment methods of the New York Police Department. Although it is submitted that the scale would be much different on the campus, the intent is still the same: Induce fear in criminals. The presence of multiple radio cars with flashing emergency lights in both heavily trafficked and isolated areas during overnight hours is much more powerful than that of blue lights and cameras. I am not knocking the use of blue lights and cameras - they are both great tools for deterrence and perpetrator identification - but a tactical deployment provides the "wow" effect.

2. A university-sponsored shuttle from the back of the Metro station that would transverse the student neighborhood. I am confident that off-campus students would certainly take advantage of this shuttle, as it is an inconvenience for off-campus students to walk from the Stamp Student Union, Lot HH, during overnight hours. In fact, the walk from the Student Union to off-campus locations also provides more opportunities for criminal victimization.

The university is also in the midst of numerous capital improvements, in addition to a few proposed major on-campus developments. It is recommended that the university design its buildings in a manner that would serve to reduce the likelihood of criminal activity.

In a March 30 column, "Reducing crime through smart design," I advocated for the use of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design techniques throughout the downtown area. CPTED, as defined in the column, "is a low-cost, effective program which employs, among other things, simple design modifications - such as better lighting on streets and in parking lots, clear delineation of private and public property through landscaping techniques, shorter shrubbery and an improved streetscape - in order to reduce the perception and reality of crime." While CPTED is useful as a retrofitting tool - as it would be applied to the downtown area - it is most suited for inclusion during the design phases of a structure. Typical methods of employing CPTED include wide windows, clear sight lines, clear delineation of entranceways and appropriately scaled landscaping. There is, of course, a multitude of additional CPTED methods that could easily be contemplated during the design phase.

There are plenty of examples of the successful implementation of CPTED principles, including, to name just a few, the internationally renowned design of the Metro system, public housing facilities in New York City and buildings in downtown Sarasota, Fla.

Of course, a dose of substantial police presence should also always be prescribed in concert with CPTED-oriented design. There is clearly no substitute for a well-implemented tactical crime suppression team.

I urge the university to employ my quick fixes along with implementing CPTED design in both existing and proposed structures.

Justin Auciello is a 2002 government and politics graduate, and holds a masters degree in city and regional planning with a concentration in crime prevention through environmental design from Rutgers University. He can be reached at auciello@gmail.com.