Looking to reduce nature

The Texas A&M University-Commerce Police Department has taken many precautions to secure the campus and deter any potential incidents. Students can also do several things that will increase their own security and the university's as a whole.

"In the past we've had items stolen and buildings vandalized," assistant police chief Bryan Vaughn said. "Glass has been broken from the inside of the Memorial Student Center and we've had students that like to clog the sinks with paper towels and leave the water running."

The University Police Department has several ways it deters such behavior. New bicycle patrols allow officers to extend their patrol beyond streets and parking lots and into some of the nooks and crannies of the University. Officers check the doors in the campus buildings to make sure they are locked and perform walkthroughs after hours. They also conduct lighting surveys and report any burned-out lights to the university. Every morning, Vaughn receives a report containing the night's findings.

There have not been many incidents this semester. Students can avoid such events by taking charge of their own environment.

Vaughn suggested locking doors, keeping items of value hidden and using lockers for valuables when working out at the Morris Recreation Center. The University Police Department also provides a service called Operation I.D., which allows students to record the serial number of valuable items such as laptops. This makes it easier to identify the stolen property.

Recently the director of facilities, David McKenna, met with vice president of academic and student affairs, Dr. Mary Hendrix, to discuss building security, specifically concerning the issue of unlocked classroom doors.

"For instance, a lot of those classrooms have audio visual setups that cost thousands of dollars," Vaughn said. McKeenna said the meeting was merely a reminder and not in reaction to any specific event.

Even though crime has not been high in the young semester it is important for students to remember to take precautions to secure their personal items.