Whether it be a late night trip back from the library or an early morning stagger back to a dorm, many Fairfield students appear to feel safe on their suburban campus.
Despite this feeling, the number of on-campus crimes jumped from 88 in 2006 to 108 in 2007, according to Fairfield’s Uniform Campus Crime Report.
The report, which the federal government mandates annually for all colleges and universities, shows incidents of murder, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, hate crimes, arson and motor vehicle theft.
Aside from cases of arson, which decreased from one in 2006 to zero in 2007, sexual assault remained at one reported incident for each year. Murder and motor vehicle theft both remained at zero reported incidents, but every other category increased by at lease one incident from the previous year, including four additional reports of aggravated assault.
Associate Director of Public Safety Frank Ficko said Public Safety is constantly monitoring campus, and takes their job very seriously since student safety is such an important issue. He noted that no matter where they are, the most important things students can do to stay safe is always stay conscious of their environment.
‘Students should always be aware of their surroundings, and feel comfortable with the people they are socializing with,’ Ficko said. ‘Never leave drinks unattended, never travel with anyone who is impaired or under the influence of a controlled substance, and report suspicious persons or behavior to Police or Public Safety immediately.’
Ficko said many criminal incidents included in the report are due to the presence of students’ guest, particularly those of which students neglect to register. He described how students must register their guests, and are responsible for their guest’s actions if they prove to be against University policy.
He also addressed larceny, which at 58 reported incidents, is the highest statistic on the report. He said in most cases, the entry is not forcible and usually stems from students not locking their doors, or leaving them propped open.
‘Everyone, not just Public Safety,’ plays a role in keeping our campus safe,’ Ficko said. ‘We count on community members to serve as extra’ eyes and ears’ for anything that appears out of the ordinary.’
Nathan Lubich, the area coordinator of the townhouses, said feels that Fairfield is extremely safe for both students and staffs, and take all measures of safety extremely seriously.
‘From their regular rounds to monitoring who enters campus at night, I have found Public Safety to do a great job in maintaining a safe atmosphere on campus,’ he said.
Despite his assertion, he reiterated the point Ficko made concerning personal student responsibility and said there is only so much Public Safety officers can do to keep every student safe at all times.
‘As far as students feeling safe as they go through their everyday lives, I think that regardless of whether we are in suburban Connecticut or in a crowded urban center, we all need to be aware of our surroundings and take ownership for our own safety and well-being,’ Ficko said. ‘So while this is most definitely a safe campus for students, leaving your door open while you go take a shower or leaving valuables in an unlocked car is just asking for someone to take advantage of the opportunity.’
FUSA President Jeff Seiser also praised Public Safety for doing what he called an outstanding job, and said he has never been afraid to anything during his time here at Fairfield.
‘The duty of Public Safety is to protect us, ensure we are acting maturely and assist us in an emergency should it come about,’ Seiser said. ‘Through a combination of their protection of various safety programs such as RAD classes and the Safe Ride Program, students are kept safe throughout the Fairfield campus.’
The Connecticut General Statute Section 10a-55 and Public Law 101-542, as amended, requires each institution of higher education within the State of Connecticut is required to annually prepare a Uniform Campus Crime Report (UCCR), consistent with the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting system (UCR). The report is to reflect the crime statistics on the property of the institution for the preceding calendar year.
When questioned about the increasing statistics of the report, Associate of Vice President o0f Student Affairs and Dean of Students Tom Pellegrino said that Fairfield puts together a very detailed report that is well above the requirement of the state law, which is one reason why the results might be startling.
‘We include every single incident which is documented by Resident Assistants or Public Safety within campus boundaries,’ he said. ‘Many schools don’t compose a report as comprehensive as the Jeanne Clery, which is reflected in their crime statistics.’
‘ ‘Nonetheless, Public Safety continues to work towards the general safety of the student body,’ Pellegrino continued.
‘It is up to the students themselves to take steps to ensure their own safety and act in accordance with University policy,’ he added.
Many students such as Rebecca White ’09 feel say they generally feel safe on campus.
‘I think some policies such as letting people anyone on campus without a check point is a little lax, but overall I never feel in danger while on campus,’ said White.
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