Recent crime sparks debate over safety at North Avenue

Last week a student was robbed in a North Avenue Apartments (NAA) elevator at knife point. The incident highlights the question of security at the NAA for many people around Tech.

"The reason [safety] became a concern is because [NAA] is such a new addition to [Tech]. Attention is being paid to the issue because of what students have heard from their friends who used to live in the GSU Village," said Nick Wellkamp, SGA vice president of Administrative Affairs.

When Tech acquired the apartments June 15, the Tech police assumed their duties at and around the facility.

"[The handover process] was very seamless. When [the NAA] became Tech's property, we secured it at that time. It was important for the [police department] to be at the [NAA] because of the amount of activity there. We needed to make sure that the condition of the [complex] stayed the same," said Teresa Crocker, chief of Police.

One of the changes that did occur under Tech supervision was the removal of the gates that sit at the North Avenue entrance of the NAA quad.

"The gates were removed under recommendation that no other buildings [on campus] are gated," said Mike Black, director of Housing.

"I just wonder why [Tech] took [the gates] out. I was surprised they put in so much effort when they could have just left it there for more safety," said Emily Jester, a third-year Industrial Engineering major.

This week, GTPD and Housing made the decision to reinstall the gates, though as of Thursday they were not yet back in place.

The police department has assigned police officers specifically for the NAA area, because the safety situation there is currently an unknown and needs to be analyzed.

"We will review the situation after a few months and with feedback from [Tech] Housing, form a better idea of what we have and make the appropriate changes," Crocker said.

The crimes that have occurred at the NAA in the short period of time that Tech has managed the area have been mostly incidents like student-on-student acts of burglary. Crocker said soliciting also occurs because customers at nearby restaurants Quiznos and Wingnuts attract panhandlers.

However, after last week's incident of armed robbery in an NAA elevator, serious questions about student safety have been brought back into the discussion.

"Student safety and security are first and foremost on our minds, and we are educating our students that they are the front line of defense. Education is the key...as there are lots of [ways] for students to help themselves," Black siad.

Black said that every student should know about safety basics like preventing tailgating, locking doors and being aware of those who should not be in the buildings.

"According to the victim [of the robbery, the perpetrator] piggybacked into the building," said Pat Wypasek, deputy chief of Police.

"We need students to check and be aware of these safety issues. There is a safety campaign at the NAA [to educate the students] that will spread out to all the other [housing buildings]," Black said.

The NAA is the first of Tech's housing facilities to substitute key locks on the entrances for prox-card readers, which will allow entry only to those who wave buzzcards in front of the prox-card readers.

"It is our plan to have prox-card entry for all buildings in two years," Black said.

For the students who reside in the NAA, issues of safety and security are part of the casual discussion. Many Tech students know GSU students who lived in the apartments and have heard their stories.

"The [NAA] was not really the safest area, but I never really had a problem. We knew to be careful at night and always walk in groups," said Kim Kaszycki, a second-year GSU student who lived in the NAA last year.

"The security situation here is a little inconvenient, but I feel safe," said Mike Gluzman, a third-year Industrial Design major.

In the wake of the armed robbery incident, students have expressed different reactions involving security.

"It doesn't change my opinion of safety on campus, because I see more police on a daily basis at North [Avenue] than I ever saw [when I was] living on both the East and West," Jester said.

"Overall I like living here...[but] the police only seem to watch the gated entrances. They don't seem to look at the North Avenue gate, even though it's the easiest place to enter," said Steven Sloan, a third-year Industrial Design major.

SGA members recently took a tour of the NAA to view the current situation for themselves.

"The police presence looked appropriate...and students appeared to feel at home and not insecure," said Bryan Tyson, SGA Institute-wide committee chair.

"Student safety is always our number one concern. It is up to the [NAA residents] to figure out what they want, and that is why [their] feedback is so important," Tyson said.

"I think there have been a good number of forums [about the NAA], and we encourage students to use all their channels [to discuss the issues]....We are [always] looking for the best solutions," said Anu Parvatiyar, undergraduate student body president.

NAA CRIME FILE

• 2 cars stolen, 1 car recovered
• 5 instances of criminal damage
• 2 instances of thefts by taking
• 3 burglaries
• 4 instances of underage alcohol
• 9 arrests (7 for soliciting in roadway, 2 for D.U.I.)