It has been important for me to read all the feedback about SafetyUMD in The Diamondback. Joel Cohen’s Sept. 17 column, “Leaders: Protect students from crime, not themselves,” raised some interesting questions that I have been responding to in private e-mails since the launch of the SafetyUMD program four short weeks ago. Most of the feedback has been positive, yet the negative seems to be making its way onto the opinion pages of The Diamondback.
Annually, the campus is flooded with promises about improved safety – such as more police or student patrols. We have 99 police officer positions and 80 police auxiliary for the campus and the immediate off-campus area. The city has contracted police officers and Prince George’s County Police, who also provide us with additional protection, and the university offers two types of police escort services, evening Shuttle-UM routes and blue-light phones to help people feel safe.
I went on a ride-along last week with the University Police. It was clear to me that the police do frequent our neighborhoods and are vigilant in investigating suspicious activity, but they need our help.
Policing by itself will not offer instant gratification on this important issue. SafetyUMD outlines the ways in which we can assist in their efforts.
It was my goal to do something different and more proactive with SafetyUMD: to address safety in a way we haven’t done before in our community. Education is the best way to access knowledge about dangerous scenarios and resources available to students. All of us are here to further our own learning, including learning how to adapt to different environments and situations. It is my goal to provide an interactive way to learn about small steps that we can take to make our environment as safe as possible.
SafetyUMD’s comprehensive approach allows us to be more responsible for our safety and security. Improving our community is not simple or easy, but education is a gateway to greater awareness and possible prevention. By better equipping ourselves with the tools needed to make safe decisions on and off the campus, we can make the university safer together.
During the past week, there have been some crime incidents on the campus. Now, more than ever, it is important for us to familiarize ourselves with the resources available to assure that we do not become victims.
I encourage you to take SafetyUMD and add all of the campus resource numbers to your cell phone and carry them with you. Do not hesitate to use these resources any time you feel unsafe. You can get to the link easily on the new and improved website for the Student Government Association, www.sga.umd.edu.
Jonathan Sachs is the president of the SGA. He can be reached at jjsachs@umd.edu.
