Campuses across the country take the month of September to remind students about the importance of safety during what has become Campus Safety Month.

On Eastern’s campus in 2010, there were three cases of sexual assault reported and 18 counts of burglary.

According to Western Illinois’ Crime Reports 2006-2010, Macomb had eight reported sexual assaults.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Security Report for 2010 cited 12 cases of sexual assault, but Eastern’s numbers were not as high.

Other Illinois schools have high burglary numbers as well, with 77 at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and 45 at Western Illinois.

But even with Eastern’s campus being safer in some aspects than other Illinois schools, officers at University Police Department still say students need to know how to stay safe and there are many ways to keep safety in mind.

The UPD has a list of tips to stay cautious that includes carrying your cell phone, walking in well-lit areas and keeping your doors locked.

However, Mark Hudson, director of University Housing and Dining Services, said the best way to stay safe is using common sense.

“The most important safety feature is you,” Hudson said.

The UPD has come up with a new way to get the word about safety out there to keep students learning and thinking.

Crime Prevention Officer David Closson said there are video clips being made in the style of the Allstate mayhem commercials that will be played on the TVs in the dining halls.

Closson also encourages students to call the police department if something is wrong, and he said students should not be afraid to call the police for help when it is needed.

Eastern has 21 blue emergency poles scattered throughout campus as well as campus police on every shift walking around to ensure the safety of students.

The resident assistants in the residence halls are trained in safety, and make rounds and perform door checks to help keep residents safe.

Moriah Ord, a sophomore communication disorders and sciences major and a resident assistant in Thomas Hall, said RAs make rounds to make sure their residents are safe.

“When we go on rounds, we are just making sure that people follow the policies and we report what we see,” she said.

At midnight, the residence halls are locked down and the night assistants report for duty. These men and women are eyes and ears of the campus from midnight to 4 a.m.

When they go on rounds, they check to make sure all the doors to the building are locked and they also are stationed inside one of the main doors to the building for their entire shift.

Closson said a lot of the problems come when students consume alcohol, but the Health Education Resource Center is around to help as well as the Rape Aggression Defense class, a class designed to help women be more aware and prevent rape.

He also suggests students fill out UPD’s personal property inventory or at least keep the information, such as the serial number, of all valuables somewhere in case something gets stolen.

In September, Hudson said the resident assistants are starting the “Operation Lock Your Doors” system, where they will walk around at night and check to see if their residents’ doors are locked.

If they find it unlocked, they will write notes reminding residents to lock it and slide it under the door.

“That makes an impact on people,” Hudson said. “They tend to be a little more cognizant of it not being a bad idea to lock your door.”

Being aware of surroundings and using common sense are safety tips recommended from both the police and resident assistants.

Students can use September as Campus Safety Month to look for ways to stay safe, but safety is not something that stops being important.

Closson said he is always willing to come talk to students about safety, and the police are always around to help. Students can find more information about campus safety from their resident assistants or on the Eastern website.

Brandyce Gordon can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].

http://www.wiu.edu/clery/report_macomb.php

http://www.police.illinois.edu/universitypolice/asr2010.pdf

http://www.eiu.edu/herc/

http://www.eiu.edu/police/