Last semester FAMU was hit with a series of car break-ins and other delinquent acts.
This semester FAMU Police are taking the safety of FAMU to a whole new level.
“We’re taking all levels of accessibility and visibility to a new level,” said Assistant Police Chief John Earst for the FAMU Police Department.
One of the plans to increase safety around FAMU is to extend the hours of police patrol.
” We’ve made adjustments in the schedule. We’ve brought about three officers to maximize man power. We’re targeting Bragg Stadium and Palmetto North, South and Phase III,” Ears added.
Along with making more police patrols in marked FAMU Police vehicles, the FAMU police department also plans to circulate high break-in areas with unmarked vehicles.
“Unmarked vehicles will be used to observe and catch people while they commit the crime, a marked vehicle will be dispatched and the offender will be arrested,” said Earst.
Some students do not look favorably on this new tactic of safety.
“There’s no reason for that. Put someone back in the security booth (located in the parking garage),” said Shavelle Phillips from Miami. “With that there wasn’t many break-ins. Hiring more people might increase tuition,” added the twenty-year old political science major.
The FAMU SafeTeam is a part of the new safety plan for FAMU.
“The SafeTeam [a student patrol team that serves as escorts during the night] has done a lot to heighten the level of activity. The a provide a great service by providing escort services.”
Speeding on FAMU grounds is also a concern for the FAMU Police Department.
“We’ve enhanced visibility in the Palmetto Complex and Bragg Stadium. We hope to get speed bumps in the Palmetto Complex, but until then police cars will patrol the area.”
Anyone caught speeding on FAMU grounds will be ticketed just like any other citizen in the city.
“The speeding fine varies depending on how may miles over the speeding the person was driving; but just as any other citizen would be ticketed so would anyone speeding on FAMU grounds,” said Earst. “The driver then has 3 choices to challenge the ticket, attend a class to prevent point against their driving records, or just pay the ticket.”