Along with other departments, Biola Campus Safety has been adjusting to transitions brought by COVID-19. Even though there is only a fraction of the usual number of students physically on campus, criminals have seen it as an opportunity to commit more crime, according to Chief of Campus Safety John Ojeisekhoba.
SHIFT IN TYPES OF CRIME
Although there are generally less crimes being committed, Chief Ojeisekhoba says Biola has experienced a higher level of property-related crimes that include: attempted building break-ins, attempted car thefts, attempted golf cart thefts, attempted bicycle thefts and cases of trespassing on campus.
Toward the end of March and the beginning of April, Campus Safety has seen a rise in outsiders and transients coming onto campus. In order to deter criminals, Chief Ojeisekhoba puts proactive measures into two categories: to secure the external perimeter and to secure the internal perimeter.
NEW INITIATIVES
The first initiative to secure the exterior falls on in-house operations that deal with 24/7 coverage and monitoring of access control to campus.
“The next initiative that was put in place to neutralize any potential outsiders or criminals coming onto our campus due to the early release of inmates includes 24-hour camera monitoring and a new system,” Chief Ojeisekhoba said.
The new system allows Campus Safety to detect anyone coming onto campus and alerts officers to respond to that location.
Securing the exterior of campus does not come without its challenges. Some portions of the campus, such as the creek area, are not completely fenced in, so Campus Safety relies on more than cameras. They have placed signs discouraging anyone from wandering onto campus.
As for the second category, the internal perimeter initiatives were put in place at the end of March and beginning of April. Campus Safety studied the hours criminals show the most activity, which fell between 2-5 a.m. This data information was used to assign additional personnel to patrol during those time frames and locations.
STUDENT PROPERTY
Campus Safety is also at work to secure any property left behind in the spring by students, like bicycles and vehicles. Not only do they have vehicles patrolling those areas, they also mixed in personnel to conduct foot patrols for extra security. Officers and personnel continue conducting building checks and walkthroughs in order to observe any possible issues brought to their attention and swiftly find effective solutions.
“So overall, students should rest easy while they’re away as we continue to keep campus safe,” Chief Ojeisekhoba said. “Students who have left property behind, we have taken steps to do our best to secure property and we intend to continue to do so.”
