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By Tom Collins
Arizona Daily Wildcat
August 21, 1996
After a slow summer, the UAPD is preparing for the increase in crime that accompanies the start of the school year."This summer was much more quiet than the last few," said University of Arizona Police Department Acting Lt. Brian Seastone.
There was no obvious reason for the change, Seastone said. It was "just a random occurrence."
Seastone said the fall semester will bring an increase in all kinds of crime. He said there will be more reports of theft and burglary as students arrive at the UA.
"There are more things to be taken and more things to report," he said.
Seastone said there are also more reports of alcohol violations, noise and sexual assault.
He said a sexual assault has never been reported to UAPD during a summer.
Alcohol incidents are particularly evident in the first month of school, Seastone said. He said many incoming students have not had a lot of experience and do not know their limits. The rise in incidents is also coupled with the fact that it is illegal for those under 21 years old to possess and consume alcohol, he said.
"We have all the same problems as the city, just not on the same scale," Seastone said. He said the biggest difference between the Tucson Police Department's day and the UAPD's is the lack of domestic violence calls on campus.
"We just don't have them because we don't have families living on campus," Seastone said.
Patrols around campus stay on the same beats and look for the same things during the summer and the school year, Seastone said.
"You're looking for everything from traffic offenses to strange and unusual activity," Seastone said.
Strange and unusual activity includes a building door open at the wrong time or people in a place where they are not permitted, he said.
Seastone said, "You get to know the beat" and, therefore, notice small idiosyncrasies.
He said he urges students to report strange activity.
"If you see a 15-year-old in a bicycle lot with bolt cutters, that's strange and unusual," he said.
Robert Folger, history senior, said, "If I felt like the suspicious activity would force me to alter how I acted, I would report it."
Students in the residence halls should be aware of strangers, Seastone said. He said extra precautions must be taken to prevent theft. For example, he said, students should lock their doors whenever they leave their rooms.
"The bad guys aren't going to be able to walk out with a TV or a stereo, but they can walk out with the wallet or the jewelry," Seastone said.
Seastone said students should trust their sixth sense about uncomfortable situations.
"If you have that feeling, you should get yourself out," Seastone said.
He said people need to maintain an awareness of their surroundings and do what they can to eliminate opportunities for criminals.
Folger said, "I think awareness is key. You have to look out for yourself."
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