As levels of crime in Tallahassee steadily increase within the new year, FAMU’s police department has equipped more active police cars throughout FAMU’s campus.
With the weather starting to heat up in the city of Tallahassee, warm weather tends to welcome more criminal activities. Hannah Kirby, a freshman student, spoke about the addition of officers patrolling throughout campus.
“Last semester while walking around campus I saw FAMU PD every so often, I probably ended up seeing them around 2-3 times a week. But, during this second semester their presence on campus has increased a lot from the first,” Kirby said. “I feel like they do a good job and I have no personal complaints about FAMU PD. I do see them rolling around campus from time to time and when I have seen issues on campus that require their attention, they tend to get there promptly.”
According to the FAMU PD campus safety and security crime log, there were a total of 7 reported crimes on FAMU’s campus in February of this year. Jeffrey Hood Jr, a sophomore, spoke on FAMU PD’s presence throughout campus.
“I see FAMU PD from time to time. If it isn’t a sporting event or a school event then I rarely see them around campus,” Hood said. “I feel like the security on campus is there, but also lacks at times throughout the day. They can work on making their presence felt even more at night because I feel safe on campus when it is daytime. But, at night campus is kind of skeptical due to the fact that it is very open and anything can happen at night.”
According to SpotCrime, the overall crime rate in the city of Tallahassee is currently down by 9% when compared to the previous month, in addition, property crime including theft, vandalism, and burglary is down. While the numbers are down, crime is still active.
Students are often targeted for their belongings when dealing with theft and burglary on campus. For senior Kelis Scott, who stays close to campus, seeing a decrease in crime rates throughout the city has been a relief.
“It feels good to know that crime has gone down a little in the city. A few years ago the crime rate was high on campus, so I was hesitant to walk by myself throughout campus,” Scott said.
As the semester comes to a close, students hope that FAMU PD will continue to make campus safe and secure throughout all times of the day.