The state center community college district police department, after noticing a spike in petty thefts or what they are calling “crimes of opportunity,” sent out an alert reminding students and staff of different strategies to keep their possessions safe.
“If someone were to look into an office while no one was there, find a phone and walk outside with it..” said Tony Cantu, Fresno City College campus president. “..That would be a crime of opportunity, that is what we are dealing with here.”
The suggestions sent out from the district police include keeping your purse, wallet, keys or other valuables with you at all times or locked in a drawer or closet.
“It’s really more about just using common sense,” said Cantu. “That’s really want we want to remind everyone to do.”
Police have also used this opportunity to further warn about the well-known problem of bike theft on campus.
“I’ve never really felt safe bringing my bike around campus,” said Colton Treacy, FCC student. “It was hard enough to get that one, I don’t want to have to get another once they steal it.”
A large majority of the bike thefts that take place in the district are on Fresno City College’s campus and Chief Hartman has sent out reminders about getting U-locks to protect bikes as well.
“There are bike racks,” Hartman said. “So it’s important that people are not only safe but smart with their property.”
Adjustments have been made in order to make the campus a safer place for all students as there are over 140 cameras on the campus and plans to add more.
“We’ve got cameras on this campus,” Cantu said. “We have cameras in this building and part of our security plan is to put cameras in different parts of the campus.”
Hartman credits the cameras, among other changes, with keeping the overall crime numbers down this year from last.
“Overall crime is down,” Hartman said. “So we are moving in the right direction, but still have a ways to go.”
Around the district crime is down 22 percent and at FCC it is down 27 percent.
“Since this is the biggest campus it is the number one concern,” Hartman said. “More people, more worry. But we are working on it.”
